Columbia  (Bntoetsitp 
mtJjeCiipofltogcrk 

THE  LIBRARIES 


Bequest  of 

Frederic  Bancroft 

1860-1945 


^y.  J*.  Throgmorton,  D.  D. 


W.  P.  Throgmorton,  D.  D. 


A  BIOGRAPHY 


By  Clarence  Hodge. 


Author  of  "Life  Pictures  of  the  Past, 
"Pen  Pictures  of  Palestine/' 
"Our  Baptist  Wishbone,"  etc. 


Egyptian  Press  Printing  Co.,  Marion,  111. 


rut* 


Copyright  1917 
By  Clarence  Hodge. 


CONTENTS 

PART   I. — BIOGRAPHY. 

Page 
I.    LIFE   OF   DR.   THROGMORTON   OUTLIN- 
ED  IN   BRIEF        ------  7 

II.   THE   THROGMORTON  ANCESTRY        -        -        16 

III.  EARLY  MEMORIES  OF  TENNESSEE  -        20 

IV.  GROWING  UP  IN  ILLINOIS  -       -       -  30 

V.    BUILDING  HIS  FIRST  CHURCH  AT  NEW 

BURNSIDE       ------         -        38 

VI.  FULL  TIME  PASTORATES,  BENTON  AND 
MT.  VERNON,  ILL.,  LOUISIANA,  MO., 
FORT  SMITH,  ARK.,  DUQUOIN  AND 
MARION,   ILL.        ------        44 

VII.    HIS  EDITORIAL  LIFE        -----  gg 

VIII.    ORGANIZATION  OF  THE     NEW     STATE 

ASSOCIATION        -----         -  82 

IX.    FIFTY  DEBATES       -       -       -       -       -       -      -  111 

X.   INCIDENTS,     ANECDOTES,       TRIBUTES, 

REMEMBRANCES  AND  IMPRESSIONS  122 

PART  II. — SERMONS,  EDITORIALS  AND  AD- 
DRESSES. 

I.    CHARACTER  SKETCH  OF  DEACON  J.  W. 

HEATON       --------      141 

II.    ORDER   OF      THE      ORDINANCES — DOC- 
TRINAL SERMON        -        -        -       -         -      150 


Page 

III.  FOUR     ESSENTIALS     TO     SCRIPTURAL 

BAPTISM — DOCTRINAL    SERMON        -      167 

IV.  "ONCE  IN  GRACE  ALWAYS  IN  GRACE" 

— DOCTRINAL   SERMON        -        -  -      178 

V.   WHAT  AMEHICA  OWES  TO  BAPTISTS — 

MEMORIAL  ADDRESS  -      192 

VI.   THE      BAPTIST      PROGRAM — EDITORIAL      212 

VII.   SHALL  WOMEN  KEEP  THEIR  MOUTHS 

SHUT? — EDITORIAL        -        -        -  -      219 

VIII.   A  VALUATION  OF     THE     PREACHER — 

EDITORIAL       -------      228 

IX.   TEACHERS   AND   SCHOOLS      OF      LONG 

AGO — EDITORIAL  RETROSPECT  -      236 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

W.  P.  THROGMORTON,    Frontispiece       .... 

CAMPMEETING  TABERNACLE     AT     MANLY'S 

CHAPEL  -  -  9 

OLD  POINT   PHEASANT      BAPTIST      MEETING 

HOUSE       ---------  23 

MRS.  W.  P.  THROGMORTON       -----        141 

B.  F.  RODMAN,  SECRETARY  OF  THE  ILLINOIS 

BAPTIST  STATE  ASSOCIATION        -  -        107 

FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH  OF  MARION,  ILL.      -  62 


PREFACE. 

It  was  my  judgment  that  a  biography  of  Dr. 
Throgmorton  should  be  written  while  he  was  yet 
with  us,  so  that  he  might  lend  his  advice  in  its 
preparation  for  the  press.  After  many  talks 
with  him,  he  assented  for  the  attempt  to  be  made. 

It  has  been  two  years  now  since  the  first  line 
was  written.  During  that  time  I  have  had 
special  opportunities  for  gathering  material  for 
the  publication.  We  visited  his  old  birth-place 
in  Tennessee  together,  besides  going  over  his  ear- 
ly scenes  in  Illinois,  and  visiting  his  pastorates 
in  this  and  other  states.  I  went  over  as  much 
as  twice  all  the  bound  volumes  of  the  Baptist 
Banner,  the  Baptist  News  and  the  Illinois  Bap- 
tist, and  noted  their  contents  carefully.  I  read 
his  published  debates  and  his  History  of  Frank- 
lin Association  and  his  tracts,  printed  years  ago. 
Besides,  it  was  my  very  great  pleasure  to  help 
him  twice  in  revival  work  at  Marion,  and  to  see 
him  stirred  up  over  the  salvation  of  men.  Also 
it  has  been  a  source  of  real  satisfaction  to  be  in- 
timate with  him  in  his  office  as  editor,  to  see  him 
at  work,  to  learn  his  methods  and  to  get  his 
view-points  of  life  and  service.  Again  and  again 
I  have  enjoyed  the  hospitality  of  his  pleasant 
home.  I  have  gone  on  many  outings  with  him 
and  thus  seen  him  from  every  angle.  With  all 
this  first  hand  knowledge  and  acquaintanceship 
at  my  command  I  do  not  hesitate  to  pronounce 
him  a  remarkable  man. 

From  several  sources  material  was  received, 
for  which  thanks  are  extended.    Especially  do  I 


name  Deacon  J.  W.  Heaton  in  this  connection. 
Many  of  the  brethren  would  have  gladly  written 
appreciations,  but  these  have  been  limited  for 
lack  of  space.  It  is  thought  that  the  work  as  it 
stands  is  fair  and  accurate  and  not  overdrawn 
in  any  respect. 

In  selecting  sermons,  addresses  and  editori- 
als, those  that  were  doctrinal  were  included 
first,  thinking  his  written  thoughts  on  these  sub- 
jects would  be  of  prime  benefit  to  his  readers, 
especially  to  the  coming  generation  of  ministers. 
Then,  a  few  of  his  best  editorials  and  retrospect- 
ive subjects  were  selected,  and  this  filled  the 
space. 

The  book  is  sent  forth  with  the  hope  that  it 
will  be  read  and  passed  on  to  those  who  need  it. 
It  is  not  complete  nor  free  from  fault,  but  the 
reader  is  asked  to  think  of  the  character  instead 
of  the  errors  and  the  writer  will  not  have  done 
his  work  in  vain. 

Clarence  Hodge, 

Marion,  111. 


INTRODUCTION. 

It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  learn  that  a  Bi- 
ography of  Dr.  W.  P.  Throgmorton  is  to  be  pub- 
lished in  the  near  future,  as  there  is  no  man  in 
all  Southern  Illinois  who  is  better  known  and 
more  highly  esteemed  than  he.  I  have  known 
him  for  something  like  forty  years,  and  have 
known  him  intimately  for  twenty-five  years,  and 
for  five  years  we  lived  together  as  one  family, 
and  our  associations  together  were  always  the 
most  pleasant.  I  can  truly  say  that  those  who 
know  him  best  love  him  most.  He  is  most  cer- 
tainly an  amiable  Christian  gentleman. 

As  a  preacher  he  has  but  few  equals.  As  a 
debater  he  has  no  superiors.  Baptists  need  have 
no  fear  of  their  cause  suffering  any  loss  in  his 
hands,  no  matter  what  the  opposition  may  be 
that  he  is  called  upon  to  meet.  While  he  is  not 
naturally  combative,  nevertheless  when  the  truth 
is  attacked  he  is  competent  to  defend  it  from  ev- 
ery angle.  However  he  always  does  it  with  the 
kindest  Christian  courtesy.  I  have  been  with 
him  in  eight  different  debates  and  I  never  saw 
him  get  rattled  or  treat  his  opponent  ungentle- 
manly  or  in  a  way  unbecoming  to  a  Christian. 
His  arguments  were  so  clear-cut  and  precise  that 
his  audience  could  always  get  them  very  readily, 
as  they  left  no  room  for  any  misunderstanding. 

As  a  preacher  he  possesses  the  clearest  and 
most  definite  understanding  of  the  Scriptures 
and  presents  them  in  the  simplest  and  most  log- 
ical manner  of  any  man  I  ever  listened  to.  Even 


the  most  obtuse  need  not  fail  to  comprehend  his 
meaning. 

As  a  pastor  he  is  one  of  the  best  organizers 
that  I  ever  knew,  and  the  only  reason  why  he  is 
not  always  a  complete  success  in  every  particular 
in  this  line  is  that  he  is  so  over-burdened  with 
other  duties  that  he  has  not  time  to  work  his  or- 
ganization. Nevertheless,  he  never  makes  a 
failure  but  is  always  dearly  beloved  by  his  entire 
membership.  There  are  many  members  of  the 
"various  churches  which  he  has  served  as  pastor 
who  will  ascribe  their  conversion  to  his  labors 
in  their  midst. 

As  editor,  it  is  hardly  necessary  that  I 
should  attempt  to  give  my  commendation  of  his 
ability  and  adaptation  for  that  work,  for  thou- 
sands of  his  readers  can  bear  testimony  to  that 
fact.  I  venture  the  assertion  that  nine  tenths 
of  his  readers,  when  they  get  the  paper,  look 
first  of  all  for  what  Brother  Throgmorton  has  to 
say.  While  possibly  it  may  be  true  that  not  all 
his  readers  agree  always  with  all  that  he 
says,  yet  his  statements  always  carry  great 
weight  with  all  his  readers ;  for  no  man  has  toil- 
ed more  earnestly  and  labored  more  assiduously 
for  the  Baptist  brotherhood  than  he.  Eternity 
alone  will  reveal  the  untold  benefits  that  have  ac- 
crued to  us  through  his  untiring  efforts. 

As  a  friend  he  is  loyal  in  every  respect,  and 

will  not  hesitate  to  deny  himself    to  favor  his 

friends  in  every  particular.    Many  there  are  who 

have  shared  his  benevolence     and  enjoyed     his 

6 


INTRODUCTION  7 

friendship.  In  many  instances  his  generosity 
has  been  imposed  upon,  as  he  is  so  big-hearted 
that  he  has  allowed  many  persons  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  his  charity.  He  has  been  deprived  of 
many  a  dollar  by  trying  to  assist  some  ungrate- 
ful fellows.  His  hand  has  always  been  open  to 
the  needy  and  the  outcast,  and  wherever  oppor- 
tunity afforded  he  has  ever  been  ready  to  extend 
a  helping  hand.  Every  community  where  he  has 
lived  can  bear  testimony  to  these  facts. 

And  as  a  man  it  is  utterly  impossible  for  me 
to  estimate  the  worth  and  power  of  his  influence 
on  the  community,  on  the  church,  on  Southern 
Illinois  and  on  the  world.  He  has  moulded  the 
life  and  character  of  more  people  in  Southern 
Illinois  than  any  other  man,  and  the  Baptist 
brotherhood  owes  more  to  him  than  any  other 
man  for  his  timely  assistance  and  wise  leader- 
ship. In  other  words,  it  might  be  truthfully  said 
that  he  is  surely  a  born  leader,  and  his  leadership 
has  always  tended  toward  a  higher  and  a  better 
life.  His  life  and  work  most  certainly  demon- 
strates the  possibilities  of  a  self  made  man. 

Marion  Teague, 
DuQuoin,   Illinois. 


CHAPTER  I. 

LIFE  OF  DR.  THROGMORTON  OUTLINED 

IN  BRIEF. 

The  purpose  of  Chapter  One  is  to  show  in 
brief  the  whole  of  Dr.  Throgmorton's  very  suc- 
cessful record  to  date,  and  reveal  the  hidden 
sources  of  his  splendid  worth.  In  other  words, 
this  chapter  proposes  to  display  a  bird's-eye  view 
for  the  help  of  hasty  readers.  When  it  is  read, 
it  is  believed  that  the  other  chapters  will  be  wel- 
comed with  more  interest.  Thus,  the  one  who  ex- 
pects to  read  the  entire  book  will  be  the  better 
prepared  for  it.  For  the  first  page  of  a  book 
usually  decides  the  reader's  tastes  for  or  against 
it. 

One  can  not  foretell  in  America  who  will  be 
renowned,  much  less  define  his  birthplace.  It 
xii&y  be  in  a  modern  city,  but  it  is  more  likely  to 
he  in  an  out  of  the  way  place,  where  no  one  ever 
dreamed  any  person  great  could  come  up.  In- 
deed, it  was  in  a  district  of  this  kind  that  Wil- 
liam Pinckney  Throgmorton  was  born.  The  date 
of  his  birth  was  September  19,  1849.  The  place 
was  within  three  miles  of  old  Manlyville,  Henry 
County,  Tennessee.  Turn  to  "Old  Memories  Re- 
vived," chapter  three,  for  an  extended  account 
of  that  section  of  the  country. 

"Who's  Who  in  America"  always  throws 
light  on  the  ancestry  of  anyone  who  is  so  fortu- 
nate as  to  get  his  name  in  its  illustrious  pages. 
Dr.  Throgmortons'  ancestry  is  easily  traced  to 
the  invasion  of  England  by  William  The  Con- 


53     O 


LIFE  OUTLINED  IN  BRIEF  9 

queror  in  the  eleventh  century.  As  they  are 
prominently  mentioned  among  those  who  assist- 
ed in  subduing  the  land.  The  reader  is  referred 
to  the  next  chapter  for  the  historical  facts  in 
the  case.  His  own  immediate  forebears  were 
residents  in  and  around  Manlyville,  his  father's 
name  being  Lewis  and  his  mother's,  Margaret 
Morton. 

The  family  and  relatives  were  in  the  habit  of 
attending  the  yearly  camp  meeting  at  Manly's 
Chapel  and  camping  out  in  shacks  for  a  week. 
The  same  custom  prevails  until  this  day  among 
those  who  live  in  that  neighborhood.  They  go 
and  stay  several  days,  and  old  ties  are  renewed. 
It  is  a  lonely,  religious  spot,  surrounded  by  deep 
woods,  and  the  heart  of  man  is  moved  to  draw 
nigh  to  God.  The  mother  and  son  and  father 
went  there  when  the  child  was  yet  an  infant.  The 
father  died  in  that  land,  while  his  son  was  but 
two  years  of  age,  and  his  body  sleeps  in  the  old 
Manly's  Chapel  burying  ground  in  an  unmark- 
ed grave.  Yearly  thereafter  it  became  a  pilgrim- 
age and  a  shrine,  until  the  lad  had  grown  to  the 
age  of  fourteen.  It  was  as  natural  for  him  to 
be  religious  as  for  the  birds  to  sing.  He  but  fol- 
lowed in  the  footsteps  of  his  faithful  mother. 

The  mother  remarried,  after  a  widowhood  of 
two  years.  This  time  it  was  to  J.  W.  Gallemore, 
and  to  this  event  is  referred  the  final  cause  that 
led  to  Dr.  Throgmorton's  coming  to  Illinois. 
Destiny  is  busy  with  us  all,  never  more  so  than 
in  death  and  re-marriage.     The  stepfather  soon 


10  BIOGRAPHY   OF  W.   P.   THROGMORTON 

moved  from  Manlyville  to  the  neighborhood  of 
Buchanan,  close  to  old  Point  Pleasant  Baptist 
church  in  the  same  county,  where  they  were  liv- 
ing when  the  war  broke  out.  To  avoid  service  in 
the  Confederate  army,  J.  W.  Gallemore  and  a 
friend  fled  to  Illinois  in  September,  1863,  making 
the  journey  on  mule  back.  In  October 
of  the  same  year  his  wife  and  stepson, 
who  was  then  fourteen  years  old,  fol- 
lowed. His  education  up  to  that  time 
was  gained  in  the  "old  field"  schools,  which 
he  describes  in  the  closing  article  of  this  book, 
under  the  title  of  "Teachers  and  Schools  of  Years 
Ago."  For  other  incidents  connected  with  his 
early  life  see  Chapter  Ten. 

His  stepfather  had  stopped  in  Johnson  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  near  Vienna,  and  thither  the  mother 
and  son  went  in  October,  1863.  August  22, 
1865,  the  mother  died  and  was  buried  near 
Grantsburg.  See  Chapter  Four.  After  that  be- 
reavement the  son  went  with  relatives  to  Grassy 
precinct  in  Williamson  county  where  he  lived 
for  two  or  three  years.  While  teaching  school 
and  boarding  at  the  home  of  David  Baker,  in  the 
winter  of  1867-8,  his  heart  was  lost  to  a  daugh- 
ter in  the  house.  The  following  September  (the 
24th)  he  was  married  to  Eliza  Catherine  Baker. 
She  was  sixteen  and  he  was  nineteen.  All  the 
years  since  that  time  they  have  been  as  one  in  all 
of  life's  problems  and  the  hand  of  Providence 
seems  to  have  directed  that  they  should  have  no 
children  but  should  adopt  as  their  own  the  de- 


LIFE    OUTLINED    IN    BRIEF  11 

nomination  to  which  they  belong.  In  all  essen- 
tial respects  they  have  given  their  lives  to  its  up- 
lift. Had  there  been  children  it  might  have  been 
otherwise. 

He  professed  conversion  in  July,  1870,  and  at 
the  monthly  meeting  of  Pleasant  Hill  Baptist 
church  in  Grassy  precinct,  on  July  2,  following, 
he  was  approved  for  baptism.  He  was  immersed 
into  the  fellowship  of  this  church  by  Dr.  D.  R. 
Sanders  July  3,  1870.  At  the  August  meeting 
he  was  licensed  to  preach  "in  the  bounds  of  the 
church,"  and  in  December,  1871,  he  was  ordained 
to  the  full  work  of  the  ministry  by  the  same 
church,  Rev.  D.  R.  Sanders  and  Rev.  David  Culp 
constituting  the  ordaining  council. 

He  taught  school  at  Pleasant  Hill,  also  at 
Oaks  in  the  same  community,  and  at  Parker, 
New  Burnside  and  Ozark.  In  the  fall  of  1873 
he  was  called  to  the  care  of  Hopewell  Baptist 
church  in  Johnson  county.  His  first  revival 
meeting  was  held  with  this  church  and  out  of  it 
sprang  the  organization  of  the  First  Baptist 
church  of  New  Burnside.  He  built  his  first 
church  there  which  still  stands.  He  pastored 
other  churches  in  the  country  during  his  period 
of  teaching  school.  Perchance  more  Baptist 
preachers  have  come  out  of  school  houses  in  the 
country  than  from  any  other  single  source,  save 
the  farm,  and  usually  they  went  from  the  farm  to 
the  school  room.  The  school  room  is  a  good  place 
to  train  a  man  for  larger  service.  The  school 
teacher  used  to  have  the  first  place  in  the  commu- 


12  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

the  spring  of  1877.  It  had  run  a  short  time  at  Ew- 
ing.  Illinois,  and  died  from  natural  causes.  He 
agreed  to  become  editor,  if  the  paper  were  re- 
moved to  Benton,  and  the  brethren  Would  as- 
sure its  running  expenses  for  three  years.  This 
was  done  and  he  brought  out  his  first  edition  in 
August,  1877,  at  Benton.  He  was  called  to  the 
care  of  Benton  church  for  part  time.  In  June, 
1880,  he  took  charge  of  the  Benton  church  for  all 
time,  and  continued  in  that  relation  with  one  in- 
termission, during  which  time  he  preached  twice 
a  month,  till  January,  1887,  when  he  removed  to 
Mt.  Vernon,  111. 

Here  he  was  pastor  for  three  years,  and  the 
Baptist  Banner  was  discontinued,  being  sold  to 
the  American  Baptist  Flag  of  St.  Louis.  From 
Mt.  Vernon  he  moved  to  Louisiana,  Mo.,  where 
he  remained  for  two  years  and  four  months.  In 
June,  1892,  he  was  called  to  Fort  Smith,  Ark., 
and  moved  to  that  field  in  the  following  August. 
He  continued  there  til  November,  1895.  His  suc- 
cess in  these  pastorates  was  pronounced  and 
flattering,  which  proves  his  pastoral  power  and 
his  genius  for  organization,  and  conducting 
church  building  campaigns.  He  has  practically 
built  five  churches. 

But  the  lure  of  the  editor's  chair  was  not  to 
be  set  aside.  It  continued  with  him,  and  in  his 
case  it  has  been  true,  "once  an  editor  always  an 
editor."  The  desire  is  uppermost.  So  when  an 
opening  came  through  Dr.  Marion  Teague  of 
Du  Quoin,  111.,  it  was  accepted  and  the  Baptist 


LIFE  OUTLINED  IN  BRIEF  13 

nity,  along  with  the  "Man  of  God,"  and  the  "old 
time  doctor."  In  fact,  William  Pinckney  Throg- 
morton  as  a  young  school  teacher  developed 
those  characteristics  that  have  since  made  him 
famous. 

His  name  became  known  to  the  Baptist  broth- 
erhood of  Southern  Illinois  through  his  "Debat- 
ing Societies,"  and  his  ability  in  "rough  and 
tumble"  discussions.  He  also  defended  the  Bap- 
tist position,  when  pressed,  so  vigorously  that 
Lis  victories  were  pronounced.  He  did  not  seek 
debate,  nor  yet  did  he  shun  it.  He  was  in  line 
with  that  long  list  of  illustrious  sons  of  flip  Ar^er- 

ERRATA:  Se- 

From  page  U  read  page  13,  then         ^ 

page  12.  ke 

ed 
__  ^„„  uioiuij,  wnicn  came  largely  through 
the  "old  field"  school  house  debating  society  and 
the  country  church.  The  change  now  has  been 
from  fostering  American  statesmen  in  embryo 
to  that  of  training  future  business  men  who  shall 
control  the  statesmen,  or  developing  ball  players 
for  major  league  companies  or  sending  out  scien- 
tists who  shall  revolutionize  the  thought  of  the 
schools  and  sometimes  make  place  for  doubt  in- 
stead of  faith.  The  old  way,  at  least,  made  pos- 
sible a  man  like  Dr.  Throgmorton.  For  that 
reason  it  is  commented  on  in  passing. 

His  ability  was  soon  recognized.  He  was  ask- 
ed to  become  editor  of  The  Baptist  Banner,  in 


12  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.   THROGMORTON 

the  spring  of  1877.  It  had  run  a  short  time  at  Ew- 
ing.  Illinois,  and  died  from  natural  causes.  He 
agreed  to  become  editor,  if  the  paper  were  re- 
moved to  Benton,  and  the  brethren  would  as- 
sure its  running  expenses  for  three  years.  This 
was  done  and  he  brought  out  his  first  edition  in 
August,  1877,  at  Benton.  He  was  called  to  the 
care  of  Benton  church  for  part  time.  In  June, 
1880,  he  took  charge  of  the  Benton  church  for  all 
time,  and  continued  in  that  relation  with  one  in- 
termission, during  which  time  he  preached  twice 
a  month  '  T^"arv.  1887,  when  he  removed  to 
Mt.  Vei 

Her 
Baptis 
the  Ar 

Mt.  Vernon  u^  __ 

he  remained  for  two  years  anu  ^_ 
June,  1892,  he  was  called  to  Fort  Smith,  ArK., 
and  moved  to  that  field  in  the  following  August. 
He  continued  there  til  November,  1895.  His  suc- 
cess in  these  pastorates  was  pronounced  and 
flattering,  which  proves  his  pastoral  power  and 
his  genius  for  organization,  and  conducting 
church  building  campaigns.  He  has  practically 
built  five  churches. 

But  the  lure  of  the  editor's  chair  was  not  to 
be  set  aside.  It  continued  with  him,  and  in  his 
case  it  has  been  true,  "once  an  editor  always  an 
editor."  The  desire  is  uppermost.  So  when  an 
opening  came  through  Dr.  Marion  Teague  of 
Du  Quoin,  111.,  it  was  accepted  and  the  Baptist 


LIFE  OUTLINED  IN  BRIEF  13 

nity,  along  with  the  "Man  of  God,"  and  the  "old 
time  doctor."  In  fact,  William  Pinckney  Throg- 
morton  as  a  young  school  teacher  developed 
those  characteristics  that  have  since  made  him 
famous. 

His  name  became  known  to  the  Baptist  broth- 
erhood of  Southern  Illinois  through  his  "Debat- 
ing Societies,"  and  his  ability  in  "rough  and 
tumble"  discussions.  He  also  defended  the  Bap- 
tist position,  when  pressed,  so  vigorously  that 
Lis  victories  were  pronounced.  He  did  not  seek 
debate,  nor  yet  did  he  shun  it.  He  was  in  line 
with  that  long  list  of  illustrious  sons  of  the  Amer- 
ican soil  who  climbed  np  out  of  adversity  into 
the  limelight  of  later  day  achievements,  and  se- 
cured for  themselves  recognition  by  dint  of  per- 
severance. He  was  also  following  in  the  wake 
of  American  progress  through  two  hundred 
years  of  its  history,  which  came  largely  through 
the  "old  field"  school  house  debating  society  and 
the  country  church.  The  change  now  has  been 
from  fostering  American  statesmen  in  embryo 
to  that  of  training  future  business  men  who  shall 
control  the  statesmen,  or  developing  ball  players 
for  major  league  companies  or  sending  out  scien- 
tists who  shall  revolutionize  the  thought  of  the 
schools  and  sometimes  make  place  for  doubt  in- 
stead of  faith.  The  old  way,  at  least,  made  pos- 
sible a  man  like  Dr.  Throgmorton.  For  that 
reason  it  is  commented  on  in  passing. 

His  ability  was  soon  recognized.  He  was  ask- 
ed to  become  editor  of  The  Baptist  Banner,  in 


14  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

brethren  of  this  section  of  Illinois  once  more 
welcomed  to  their  midst  Dr.  Throgmorton  and 
wife,  who  moved  to  Du  Qnoin  to  live  in  Novem- 
ber, 1895,  and  to  take  up  the  task  of  editing  "The 
Baptist  News,"  at  that  place.  The  success  of  the 
paper  was  as  good  as  the  times  and  circum- 
stances could  produce.  It  was  ably  edited  and 
most  of  the  old  Banner  subscribers  or  their  de- 
scendants took  the  paper.  It  was  a  favorite  in 
Baptist  families  all  through  Southern  and  Cen- 
tral Illinois. 

At  Du  Quoin  Dr.  Throgmorton  was  also  pas- 
tor of  the  First  Baptist  church  for  six  years  and 
seven  months.  His  interest  in  the  Baptist  News 
was  finally  sold  to  the  Central  Baptist  of  St. 
Louis,  and  he  continued  to  edit  The  Illinois  De- 
partment in  that  paper  for  three  years.  In  all 
he  remained  in  Du  Quoin  nine  years  and  was 
wonderfully  successful  as  pastor,  and  only  let  go 
the  paper,  when  his  finances  could  no  longer 
stand  the  strain.  He  has  never  made  any  money 
editing  Baptist  newspapers. 

He  was  called  to  Marion  in  December,  1904, 
and  thinking  it  the  voice  of  duty,  he  went.  He 
has  been  there  now  over  twelve  years,  pastor  of 
the  church  part  of  the  time,  and  editor  of  The 
Illinois  Baptist  since  November,  1905. 

Thus,  since  August,  1877,  he  has  been  an  edi- 
tor almost  continuously.  During  that  time  he 
has  been  editor-in-chief  of  the  Baptist  Banner, 
The  Baptist  News  and  the  Illinois  Baptist,  and 
associate  editor  of  the  Baptist  Flag  and  the  Cen- 


LIFE  OUTLINED  IN  BRIEF  15 

tral  Baptist,  besides  doing  pastoral  work  most 
of  the  time. 

The  last  ten  years  have  witnessed  the  forma- 
tion and  building  up  of  the  Illinois  Baptist  State 
Association,  which  is  aligned  with  the  Southern 
Baptist  Convention,  and  whose  chief  factor  has 
been  and  is  now  the  justly  honored  editor  of  The 
Illinois  Baptist  and  pastor  of  the  widely  known 
First  Baptist  church  of  Marion.  The  editor  has 
celebrated  his  sixty-seventh  birthday,  as  well  as 
his  forty-eighth  wedding  anniversary,  and  the 
sands  of  time  still  run  with  measured  strength 
for  him. 


CHAPTER  II. 
THE  THROGMORTON  ANCESTRY. 

The  Throgmorton  name  is  one  of  a  noble 
lineage,  whether  spelled  Throcmorton,  Throck- 
morton or  Throkmorton,  or  more  accurately 
Throgmorton,  it  is  all  the  same,  and  those  who 
bear  the  name  spelled  in  any  one  of  the  ways 
mentioned  are  all  from  the  same  family  tree. 

The  earliest  known  record  is  found  in  Hume's 
History  of  England,  and  states  that  the  Throg- 
mortons  were  of  Norman  stock.  They  came  over 
with  William  the  Conqueror  in  1066,  A.  D.,  and 
he  settled  upon  them  large  estates  and  gave  them 
honorary  titles,  which  they  maintained  for  five 
hundred  years,  or  until  the  Reformation. 

Sir  Nicholas  Throgmorton  (1531-71)  was 
Queen  Elizabeth's  ambassador  in  France,  where 
he  was  imprisoned  as  having  sided  with  the 
Huguenots,  and  was  repeatedly  ambassador  to 
Scotland  in  the  troublous  period  1561-67.  In 
1569  he  was  sent  to  the  London  Tower  as  being- 
concerned  in  the  scheme  of  marrying  Mary 
Queen  of  Scots  to  the  Duke  of  Norfolk. 

It  appears  that  later  Sir  Nicholas  and  Sir 
John  Throgmorton,  who  were  heads  of  the  family 
in  Queen  Elizabeth's  reign,  and  were  Catholics 
in  faith  and  practice,  were  both  beheaded  in  the 
Tower.  Sir  Nicholas'  daughter,  at  one  time  high 
maid  to  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  afterward  the  wife 
of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  died  of  a  broken  heart. 

The  estates  being  confiscated  the  remnant  of 
this  once  noble  family  scattered  to  various  parts 

16 


THE    THROGMORTON    ANCESTRY  17 

of  the  world.  The  name  however  is  still  perpe- 
tuated in  England.  One  of  the  principal 
thoroughfares  of  the  City  of  London  is  named, 
"Throginorton  Row."  On  this  row  lie  buried 
kings  and  princes  who  once  made  the  arms  of 
England  famous.  Probably  the  first  of  the  per- 
secuted family  to  reach  America  must  have  land- 
ed in  Boston  about  1636,  for  we  find  John  Throg- 
morton's  name  mentioned  as  being  one  of  the 
twelve  who  were  first  enrolled  in  the  Colony  of 
Providence,  Rhode  Island,  which  was  founded 
by  Roger  Williams  in  1636.  John  Throgmorton, 
gentleman,  was  specially  singled  out  by  Roger 
Williams  in  a  letter  written  to  explain  why  he 
founded  the  colony,  and  he  is  there  called  "lov- 
ing friend"  and  neighbor. 

It  is  also  ascertained  that  three  Throgmorton 
brothers  came  to  America  early  and  settled  on 
the  Potomac  river.  From  there  their  children 
went  to  the  Carolinas,  and  then  to  the  states  be- 
yond. Now  they  are  found  in  at  least  fifteen  of 
our  states. 

Lewis  Throgmorton's  father,  whose  name 
was  Thomas,  lived  and  died  in  North  Carolina. 
He  was  married  to  Rosana  Wilkinson,  who  mov- 
ed to  Tennessee  with  her  sons,  Josiah,  James  P. 
and  Lewis,  in  1833.  When  James  P.  moved  to  Il- 
linois in  1863  she  came  along,  but  died  in  1865, 
near  Grantsburg,  Johnson  County,  Illinois. 
She  was  a  woman  of  strong  character,  and  im- 
pressed her  growing  grandson,  William  Pinck- 
ney,  with  the  excellence  of  her  life. 


18  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.   THROGMORTON 

The  ancestry  on  his  mother's  side,  while  not 
traceable  as  far  beck  as  on  the  father's  side,  yet 
had  its  enduring  influence.  They  were  Virgin- 
iiins  and  Carolinians.  Margaret  J.  Morton, 
mother  of  W.  P.,  was  the  daughter  of  George 
Simeon  Morton.  He  was  married  to  Elizabeth 
McSwain.  The  Morton's  were  of  English  ances- 
try, while  the  McSwains  were  Scotch-Irish. 

George  S.  Morton  was  in  the  war  of  1812  and 
fought  under  Jackson.  His  father's  name  was 
Thomas,  who  was  in  the  war  of  the  American 
Revolution.  The  Mortons  and  McSwains  were 
both  of  a  very  staunch,  sturdy  stock. 

Margaret  J.  Morton  was  one  of  a  family  of 
sixteen  children,  all  of  whom  have  passed  to  their 
reward.  While  there  were  many  excellent  mem- 
bers of  that  large  family,  it  is  no  disparagement 
to  say  that  she  was  the  favorite  child.  She  was 
not  only  loved  by  her  home  folks  and  kinfolks, 
but  also  by  the  neighbors  and  friends.  And  as 
she  left  to  come  to  her  new  home  in  Illinois, 
she  was  most  lovingly  missed  and  mourned. 
This  tribute  is  paid  her  by  one  of  her  relatives, 
who  remembers  her  well,  and  who  lives  now  at 
Puryear,  Tennessee.  Such  a  mother  and  grand- 
mother, like  that  of  Timothy,  could  not  but  make 
possible  a  noble  offspring.  Such  an  ancestry  is 
one  to  be  proud  of. 

His  mother  was  thrice  married,  the  first  time 
to  Julius  Throgmorton,  then  to  Lewis,  father  of 
W.  P.,  and  last  to  J.  W.  Gallemore. 


THE    THROGMORTON    ANCESTRY  19 

The  Mortons  were  Baptists,  but  his  mother 
after  her  marriage  was  converted  and  joined  the 
Methodists.  The  Throgmortons  of  that  day  were 
nearly  all  Methodists. 


CHAPTER  III. 

DR.  THROGMORTON'S  MEMORABLE  TRIP 

BACK  TO  TENNESSEE. 

The  trip  was  made  from  Paris,  county  seat 
of  Henry  county,  and  the  Doctor  was  like  a  boy 
again  all  day  long.  It  was  reported  for  the  Illi- 
nois Baptist  in  the  Doctor's  own  way.  And  no 
one  else  could  have  done  it  as  well. 

"We  secured  a  'Ford,'  and  a  good  chauffeur 
for  the  day,  and  before  8  A.  M.,  were  ready  for 
the  start.  Before  leaving  town  we  called  at  the 
drug  store  of  our  kinsman,  Dr.  Isaac  McSwain, 
to  shake  hands  with  him  and  exchange  words, 
but  he  was  not  in.  However,  two  of  his  sons  were 
and  we  passed  the  time  o'  day  with  them,  and 
left  greetings  for  their  father,  and  began  the 
day's  travel. 

"We  went  first  to  Manlyville,  which  is  about 
thirteen  miles  a  little  southeast  of  Paris,  and  is 
the  village  within  two  or  three  miles  of  which 
we  first  saw  the  light  of  day.  It  was  fine  to  spin 
across  the  country  and  feel  that  we  were  breath- 
ing the  air  of  our  boyhood  home. 

"Manlyville  is  hardly  as  large  a  place  as  it 
was  when  we  saw  it  last,  which  was  forty-eight 
years  ago.  We  believe  it  now  has  only  one  gen- 
eral store,  which  is  kept  by  a  Mr.  Dowdy,  whose 
very  name  revived  childhood's  memories.  The 
Dowdys  were  there  sixty  years  ago. 

"From  Manlyville  we  took  a  run  to  old  Man- 
ly's  chapel  where  we  saw  the  M.  E.  church  and 
the  old  camp  ground  which  are  among  our  earli- 

20 


MEMORABLE    TRIP    TO    TENNESSEE  21 

est  memories.  The  old  chapel  is  there  and  the 
old  'camps'  or  cabins  are  there.  We  suppose 
a  camp  meeting  has  been  held  there  every  year 
for  more  than  seventy  years — possibly  one  hun- 
dred years. 

"With  our  step-father  and  our  mother  we 
'camped'  there  each  year  for  a  number  of  years. 
We  imagined  we  could  identify  the  very  'cabin' 
in  which  we  slept  sixty  years  ago. 

"The  old  'arbor'  or  'stand'  in  which  camp 
meeting  services  were  held  is  there  apparently 
just  as  it  was  when  we  had  last  seen  it  forty- 
eight  years  before.  %  Many  are  the  wonderful  old 
time  Methodist  shouting  scenes  we  have  witness- 
ed and  wondered  at  under  the  roof  of  that  old 
'shed.' 

"The  main  changes  that  seemed  most  appar- 
ent to  us  were  that  everything  on  the  grounds 
had  shrunk  up.  The  meeting  house  was  smaller, 
the  'arbor'  was  smaller,  the  'camps'  covered  far 
less  ground  and  were  themselves  each  smaller 
than  memory  had  them  pictured  on  her  walls. 
The  old  cemetery  also  seemed  smaller.  Some- 
where in  its  ground  sleep  the  bones  of  our  father, 
but  the  grave  cannot  be  identified,  which  we 
greatly  regret.  Could  we  have  found  it,  we  would 
long  ago  have  marked  it  with  a  marble  slab.  But 
God  knows,  and  he  will  in  the  resurrection  morn- 
ing call  the  dust  to  life  again.  Blessed  be  his 
name. 

"After  spending  an  hour  at  the  chapel  we 
went  to  some  of  the  home  scene  places.    First  we 


22  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

came  to  the  old  'Squire  Dick  Throginorton'  place 
which  is  near  by  where  formerly  stood  the  first 
school  house  we  ever  attended,  but  which  has 
long  since  disappeared.  Even  the  grave  yard 
which  was  located  near  the  old  school  house  has 
for  years  been  closed  and  there  is  not  even  a 
road  leading  thereto. 

"  'Uncle  Dick  Throginorton'  was  murdered 
in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1864,  by  a  guerilla, 
named  Tom  Scales.  We  have  been  told  it  was 
one  of  the  most  unprovoked  killings  of  all  those 
bloody  years.  Scales  was  noted  as  a  man  who 
loved  to  see  blood  flow.  He  was  afterwards  shot 
to  death  for  his  crimes. 

"The  'Uncle  Dick'  Throgmorton  place  is 
much  as  it  was  years  ago,  except  that  the  Negro 
cabins  are  gone  and  that  one  section,  the  old 
kitchen  of  the  main  building,  has  been  taken 
away.  The  house  is  occupied  by  a  Mr.  Green 
Hastings  and  family. 

"Going  west  next,  about  half  a  mile,  we  came 
to  a  double  hewed  log  house  where  about  three 
years  of  our  boyhood  was  spent.  This  house  is 
made  up  of  two  rooms  with  a  wide  hall  between. 
It  did  not  look  half  so  large  as  we  had  it  pictured 
in  our  mind.  We  saw  the  first  piece  of  ground 
we  ever  worked.  It  was  a  tobacco  patch  and  we 
were  taught  to  use  the  hoe  in  cultivating  the 
young  plants.  It  had  been  about  fifty-seven  years 
since  we  had  seen  this  old  place  and  its  grounds. 
It  is  now  occupied  by  a  family  named  Khoades. 
Within  half  a  mile  of  this  place  we  were  born 


•      *~^ 


MEMORABLE    TRIP    TO    TENNESSEE  23 

September  19,  1849,  and  there  two  years  later 
our  father  died.  But  the  old  cabin  in  which  our 
life  history  began  was  torn  down  more  than  fifty- 
eight  years  ago.  We  have  a  very  indistinct  mem- 
ory of  how  it  looked. 

"We  next  turned  our  Ford's  nose  to  the 
Northward,  and  passing  through  Springville, 
came  to  'the  sulphur  well,'  which  is  to  us  a  his- 
toric spot.  Seeing  it  is  one  of  our  very  early 
memories.  We  believe  it  has  the  strongest  stream 
of  any  spring  or  well  we  have  ever  yet  seen.  We 
remember  that  in  our  boyhood  days,  a  fence  rail 
eight  feet  long  pitched  into  it  endways  would  be 
almost  shot  out  by  the  force  of  the  waters,  which 
make  quite  a  brook  as  they  flow  away  from  the 
well.  The  water  is  strongly  impregnated  with 
sulphur,  but  is  beautifully  clear  and  is  said  to 
have  fine  medicinal  qualities.  A  summer  resort 
was  established  here  a  few  years  ago,  but  it  does 
not  appear  to  have  been  well  kept  up.  Plenty  of 
money  and  plenty  of  advertising  would  make  it  a 
big  thing.  ,,*rr~~~~~ 

Point  Pleasant  Baptist  Church. 

"Our  next  objective  point  was  old  Point 
Pleasant  Baptist  church,  which  is  about  four 
miles  west  of  the  Mouth  of  Sandy,  and  on  the 
Mouth  of  Sandy  and  Buckhannon  road.  We 
reached  the  old  church  at  about  1  P.  M.  It  was 
here  that  we  attended  services  when  a  boy  from 
ten  to  fourteen.  Here  our  grandparents,  the 
father  and  mother  of  our  mother,  belonged.  Also 
a  number  of  their  children.  Our  mother,  however, 


24         BIOGRAPHY    OF    W.    P.    THROGMORTON 

was  a  Methodist,  the  result  we  presume  of  hav- 
ing married  into  a  Methodist  family. 

About  fifty  yards  from  the  old  Point  Pleas- 
ant church  was  a  school  house  where  one  year 
we  attended  school.  During  this  time  we  obtain- 
ed a  good  start  in  what  was  the  schooling  of  that 
day.  Our  teacher  was  a  Mr.  Simmons,  and  we 
think  he  was  probably  one  of  the  best  of  that 
time.  He  was  called  "Ep"  Simmons,  the  full 
name  being  Epaphroditus  Simmons.  He 
was  a  good  instructor  but  a  great  believer 
in  the  use  of  the  rod.  Woe  to  the  pupil  who  dis- 
obeyed him.  He  taught  what  was  called  "open 
school" — that  is,  we  all  studied  "out  loud." 
When  we  all  turned  loose  on  a  spelling  lesson,  it 
was  a  sight  to  see  us  and  hear  us.  We  were 
encouraged  to  spell  as  "loud"  as  we  could.  One 
of  Mr.  Simmons'  rules  was  that  no  pupil  was  to 
whisper  to  another  in  school.  If  he  wanted  to 
say  anything  and  spoke  out,  it  was  all  right, 
but  if  he  whispered  and  was  caught — and  he 
was  mighty  apt  to  be  caught — he  got  a  licking. 

The  Old  Preacher. 
"The  preachers  at  old  Point  Pleasant,  as  we 
remember  them,  were  Elders  James  Gray,  Fra- 
zier  Gray,  a  brother  named  Marida  and  one  nam- 
ed Hopkins.  One  of  the  deacons  of  the  church 
was  Lewis  Wimberly,  a  mighty  fine  man.  We 
remember  most  prominently  the  brown  jeans 
'hunting  shirt'  which  it  seems  to  us  now,  he  al- 
ways wore.  Another  thing  we  remember  is  that 
Point  Pleasant  was  a  'foot-washing'  church.    We 


MEMORABLE    TRIP   TO    TENNESSEE  25 

don't  think  it  had  any  Sunday  school  in  those 
days.  Our  step-father  moved  into  the  Point 
Pleasant  neighborhood  about  the  year  1858.  An- 
other church  near  us  was  a  'Hardshell'  church, 
and  not  so  very  far  was  the  Bethel  M.  E.  church 
near  Buchanan.  We  visited  both  these,  but 
never  attended  a  Sunday  school  till  we  came  to 
Illinois,  after  we  were  fourteen  years  of  age." 
Conscription. 

"One  of  the  striking  incidents  which  we  re- 
member in  connection  with  Point  Pleasant 
church  occurred  on  the  third  Sunday  in  Sep- 
tember, 1863.  The  morning  service  was  held  as 
usual.  Brother  Frazier  Gray  on  that  occasion 
preached  a  funeral  sermon  in  honor  of  some  one 
who  had  been  dead  for  some  months.  At  the  close 
of  the  service,  when  the  congregation  had  all 
gotten  out  into  the  church  yard,  a  Confederate 
officer  stood  on  the  church  door  steps  and  an- 
nounced that  he  had  been  required  to  conscript 
every  man  of  military  age  present  into  the  Con- 
federate army,  and  asked  all,  from  eighteen  to 
forty-five,  to  step  into  line.  Sentries  had  been 
placed  at  various  points  on  the  roads  to  prevent 
the  escape  of  any.  Accordingly  everybody  lined 
up  and  all  were  duly  sworn  into  the  Confederate 
service.  They  were  then  instructed  to  go  to 
their  homes  and  to  return  to  the  church  the  next 
morning  at  10  o'clock  to  take  up  their  march  to 
the  Southward. 

"Among  those  thus  conscripted  was  our  step- 
father, Mr.  J.  W.  Gallemore.    Instead  of  report- 


26         BIOGRAPHY    OF    W.    P.    THROGMORTON 

ing  for  Confederate  service  the  next  morning  he 
struck  a  bee  line  for  Illinois.  With  our  mother 
we  followed  later,  and  so,  in  October,  1863,  were 
located  to  finish  our  boyhood  years  in  this  best 
state  in  the  Union." 

His  Grandfathers  Old  Log  Home. 

"The  old  place  has  been  deserted  and  no  one 
has  lived  there  for  some  years.  We  could  not 
get  our  machine  nearer  than  within  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  of  the  old  buildings.  A  Mr.  Moody  kindly 
helped  us  to  find  them.  But  when  we  reached 
them  we  could  easily  identify  them,  though  we 
had  not  seen  them  for  twenty-seven  years  and 
though  they  are  much  dilapidated.  The  old  'big 
house'  was  there  and  the  kitchen  was  there. 
Both  were  much  smaller  and  they  were  much 
closer  together  than  memory  pictured  them.  The 
three  great  oaks  which  were  big  trees  sixty  years 
ago,  are  still  there  in  the  old  yard.  They  must 
be  more  than  two  hundred  years  old.  They  do 
not  seem  much  larger  to  us  now  than  memory 
had  them  sized  up  fifty  years  ago.  We  went 
down  the  hill  to  the  spring.  It  was  filled  up  and 
was  completely  gone.  The  old  'spring  house,'  ev- 
ery vestige  of  it  was  gone.  The  creek  near  by  in 
which  we  used  to  fish,  when  a  lad,  is  now  a  very 
small  branch.  We  used  to  think  it  was  pretty 
big. 

"Ah,  the  happy  times  of  long  ago,  which  we 
spent  at  that  old  place.  We  thought  of  them  as 
we  looked  over  the  almost  wreck  of  what  had 
been  and  were  glad  we  had  seen  them.     Thank 


MEMORABLE    TRIP    TO   TENNESSEE  27 

God  for  pleasant  memories  and  pleasant  dreams. 
Though  they  never  return,  they  make  life  fuller 
and  richer.  Surely  the  boy  who  has  grand  parents 
who  have  a  home  and  who  does  not  think  that 
home  the  best  place  on  earth  to  visit,  has  a  differ- 
ent kind  of  grand  parents  from  what  we  had. 
But  now  our  grand  parents  are  gone  and  all  their 
sons  and  daughters  are  gone,  and  the  children  of 
those  sons  and  daughters  who  are  yet  on  this  side 
are  well  on  in  years. 

"So  teach  us  to  number  cur  days,  that  we 
may  apply  our  hearts  unto  wisdom'." 

"We  got  into  the  old  'big  house'  and  Brother 
Hodge,  who  delights  in  relics,  found  something 
to  his  liking.  He  found  the  board  on  which  the 
old  clock  sat  for  more  than  fifty  years  and  the 
old  gun  racks  which  are  perhaps  older  still.  He 
has  an  old  'flint  lock'  gun  to  match  them,  and 
they  will  help  out  his  museum  of  'antiquities'." 

Getting  back  to  our  "Ford"  we  found  it  and 
our  chauffeur  awaiting  us.  After  a  little  run 
we  got  out  of  the  woods  and  rough  track  back 
into  the  main  highway,  and  struck  out  for  Pur- 
year,  a  station  on  the  N.  C.  &  St.  L.,  a  distance 
of  about  fourteen  miles,  where  we  were  to  take 
a  train  for  Paducah. 

We  reached  Puryear  just  a  few  minutes  af- 
ter 4  p.  m.,  all  in  good  shape,  and  just  in  time 
to  miss  the  heavy  rain  which  immediately  fol- 
lowed.   It  poured  and  poured  for  an  hour  or  so. 

After  coming  into  Puryear  we  went  to  the 
only  hotel  in  the  place.    It  is  kept  by  a  Mrs.  Mc- 


28         BIOGRAPHY    OF    W.    P.    THROGMORTON 

Laren,  the  widow  of  Dr.  McLaren.  She  prepar- 
ed as  fine  a  supper  for  us  as  any  man  could 
want  to  sit  down  to.  And  we  were  certainly 
two  hungry  men,  as  we  had  failed  to  find  dinner 
at  the  regular  hour.  So  Mrs.  McLaren's  fine, 
fat,  fried  chicken,  hot  biscuits,  and  other  things 
to  match,  were  exactly  to  our  liking.  Some 
drummer  had  told  Mrs.  McLaren  before  supper 
who  we  were — that  is,  that  we  were  a  Bap- 
tist preacher  and  that  our  name  was  Throgmor- 
ton.  So  while  we  were  eating,  conversation  was 
opened  up.  She  said,  "There  is  a  young  man 
named  Throgmorton,  a  commercial  traveler, 
who  comes  here  sometimes,  and  I  am  always 
glad  to  see  him.  I  have  told  him  about  a  cousin 
of  mine  whose  maiden  name  was  Morton,  whom 
I  greatly  loved  and  always  called  aunt.  Her 
name  was  Margaret.  She  married  as  her  last 
husband  a  man  named  Gallemore,  but  her  for- 
mer husband  was  a  Throgmorton,  and  they  had 
a  son  named  Will  Pink,  whom  I  have  always 
wanted  to  see."  Eight  there  we  interrupted  her 
and  said:  "I  am  that  very  boy,  and  that  Mar- 
garet Morton  was  my  mother."  She  said,  "You 
don't  say  so."  It  turned  out  that  Mrs.  McLar- 
en was  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Weldon,  whose  wife 
was  an  own  cousin  of  our  mother.  So  unawares 
we  had  come  into  the  home  of  a  blood  relative. 
We  were  glad  and  she  was  glad.  She  told  us 
many  things  which  were  good  to  hear.  One  was 
that  our  mother  was  a  universal  favorite  among 
all  the  relatives  on  account  of  her  special  good- 
ness of  heart. 


MEMORABLE    TRIP    TO    TENNESSEE  29 

So  you  see  we  had  a  great  day.  Counting 
turns  back  and  forth  and  losses  by  means  of 
mistakes,  our  "Ford"  must  have  traveled  about 
seventy-two  miles.  Part  of  the  time  the  roads 
were  fine.  Some  of  the  time  they  were  very  bad. 
One  thing  that  struck  us  most  forcibly  was  that 
the  country  is  so  thinly  settled.  There  is  evi- 
dently room  for  ten-fold  the  population  that  is 
now  there.  And  the  land  is  fine.  More  people 
is  the  great  need.  We  noted  also  that  much  to- 
bacco is  still  raised.  Many  new  barns  were  seen 
(hiring  the  day. 

At  various  points  Brother  Hodge  took  snap- 
shots with  his  camera.  Two  or  three  pictures 
were  taken  at  the  old  campground.  One  at  the 
"Uncle  Dick  Throgmorton  place."  One  at  the 
home  where  we  lived  awhile  when  a  small  lad. 
One  at  old  Point  Pleasant.  One  at  our  grand- 
father's old  place.  Yes,  and  one  at  Manlyville. 
It  was  not  a  good  day  for  picture-taking.  So 
the  work  may  not  prove  satisfactory. 

We  got  back  to  Marion  Friday  noon  full  of 
the  revival  of  old  memories,  and  much  refreshed 
in  body  and  spirit. 

"How  dear  to  my  heart  are  the  scenes    of    my 
childhood, 
When    fond    recollection    presents    them    to 
view — 
The  orchard  and  meadow,  the  deep  tangled  wild- 
wood, 
And  every  loved  spot  that  my  infancy  knew." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

GROWING  UP  IN  ILLINOIS. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen  and  in  the  fall  of  1863, 
some  time  in  October,  Dr.  Throgmorton  came 
with  his  mother  to  Southern  Illinois  and  stopped 
in  Johnson  county,  near  Vienna,  where  pre- 
viously his  stepfather,  Wes.  Gallemore,  had  pre- 
ceded them,  on  account  of  a  desire  not  to  serve 
in  the  Confederate  army. 

Following  The  Pioneer. 

It  was  yet  a  new  land,  still  in  the  depths  of 
timbered  tracts,  much  of  it  swampy.  Chills  and 
malaria  and  fever  abounded. 

The  pioneer  still  held  sway.  He  lived  in  a  log 
cabin  under  very  primitive  conditions.  He  in- 
herited the  pioneer  powers  of  endurance.  He 
learned  the  craft  of  making  much  of  few  oppor- 
tunitis. 

Into  this  land  came  the  young  Throgmorton 
to  thrive  where  others  failed,  to  live  where  others 
died,  to  grow  where  others  merely  existed.  It 
was  Providence  making  opportunities  for  a  man- 
ly boy.  It  was  the  call  of  a  lad  to  a  Canaan  that 
he  should  afterwards  possess. 

The  Old  and  the  New. 

He  was  a  connecting  link  between  the  old  and 
the  new.  He  was  grafted  on  to  the  old,  and  has 
lived  in  the  new.  But  his  life  is  as  simple  as 
that  of  any  pioneer  who  ever  lived.  He  is  un- 
spoiled by  the  arts  of  modern  times.  He  has  the 
bearing  of  a  man  who  was  raised  on  the  ground. 

30 


GROWING   UP   IN   ILLINOIS  31 

He  describes  the  pioneer  simplicity  of  every- 
thing, especially  the  pole  cabin,  with  its  clap- 
board door  and  puncheon  floor,  its  ever-present 
stick  and  clay  chimney,  its  bright  wood  fires,  its 
pot-rack,  its  rifle  and  chopping  axe,  its  home- 
made bed,  its  homespun  clothes  and  its  desolate 
dreariness,  where  companionship  was  limited. 

The  boy  of  fourteen  easily  fell  into  the  hab- 
its of  such  a  land,  because  he  knew  the  life  of  the 
log  cabin  in  Tennessee.  But  his  mother,  who 
was  older,  could  not  forget  her  old  home,  and  she 
lived  not  quite  two  years  after  coming  to  the 
new  state. 

The  Big  Boy. 

He  was  large  for  his  age,  and  they 
called  him  "Billy  Pink,"  and  "Willy  Pink," 
short  for  William  Pinkney.  His  mother 
was  a  rare,  winsome  woman,  and  devoted 
to  her  large  son.  They  lived  for  a  short  time  in 
the  same  humble  cabin  with  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Gil- 
lespie, who  recently  died  at  Creal  Springs.  Mrs. 
Gillespie  described  his  mother  as  being  a  small 
woman,  with  a  sweet  disposition  and  a  strong 
faith  in  God.  The  house  was  what  is  called  a 
double  log  cabin,  with  an  open  hallway  be- 
tween and  a  kitchen  attached  to  the  side.  It 
had  a  rock  chimney,  and  was  situated  on  a  hill. 

Here  the  youthful  "Billy  Pink"  read  his  Bi- 
ble under  the  directions  of  his  mother  and  spent 
hours  talking  with  some  of  his  Throgmorton  kin- 
folks  in  a  nearby  Campbellite  settlement  about 
their  views,  and  he  always  took  the  side  of  the 


32  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.   THROGMORTON 

Baptists.  The  word  soon  went  out  among  them 
that  he  would  be  a  Baptist.  Mrs.  Gillespie  stated 
that  he  was  exceedingly  sharp  then  for  his  age 
and  knew  how  to  hold  his  own  in  a  personal  con- 
troversy. The  qualities  that  made  him  famous 
were  beginning  to  sprout.  His  future  was  being 
moulded  by  his  trend  of  thought.  He  got  his 
knowledge  of  the  Bible  first  hand  and  became  a 
Baptist  through  taking  the  Baptist  part.  It  is 
inevitable;  for  where  we  talk  for  a  thing  we 
come  to  believe  it, 

His  Mother' 8  Death. 
The  spirit  that  had  lived  in  happiness  amid 
the  hills  of  Tennessee  pined  amid  the  new  scenes 
of  its  adoptd  state  and  soon  forsook  its  body  for 
a  home  in  heaven,  where  many  brave  spirits  had 
gone  during  the  war  that  had  raged  between 
the  states,  and  had  left  no  home  without  its  spec- 
ter. 

His  mother  passed  to  her  reward  August  22, 
1865,  and  was  buried  in  the  Bethlehem  church 
cemetery,  near  Grantsburg.  It  was  an  event 
worth  recording;  for  the  soul  of  a  saint  had  en- 
tered into  rest,  and  the  mother  of  a  great  boy 
had  left  him  alone.  She  had  shaped  his  soul, 
guided  his  steps,  impressed  her  own  spotless  life 
upon  his  nature,  given  him  the  benefit  of  her 
Southern  temperament,  and  lodged  in  his  bosom 
an  unquenchable  respect  for  God's  Word.  This 
was  worth  more  than  a  wealthy  patrimony,  more 
than  an  official  position,  more  than  a  pretentious 
name. 


GROWING    UP    IN    ILLINOIS  33 

His  Early  Education  and  His  Library. 
Such  education  as  he  got  was  that  of  the 
common  schools  and  what  besides  he  picked  up 
by  reading  and  observation.  He  was  a  leader  in 
his  classes  and  readily  absorbed  all  the  teacher 
knew.  He  succeeded  in  reading  all  the  books 
the  neighbors  had,  but  these  were  few,  and  order- 
ing books  then  was  not  much  of  a  habit  with 
them.  Even  yet  the  homes  among  us  do  not  have 
enough  good  books  on  their  tables  and  in  their 
book  cases.  He  says  the  people  should  more 
and  more  direct  the  reading  of  their  children. 

He  read  such  works  as  the  early  pioneers  pos- 
sessed; books  of  adventure,  travel  and  history; 
as  "Daniel  Boone,"  "Pioneers,"  "Land  We  Live 
In,"  "Life  of  George  Washington,"  "History  of 
United  States,"  and  he  got  acquainted  with 
Dick's  works  on  Astronomy  and  Philosophy.  He 
also  read  a  book  of  "Stories  From  the  Ancient 
Classics,"  which  impressed  him  very  much.  He 
persevered,  however,  and  has  become  a  well-read 
man.  His  library  consists  of  many  of  the  best 
books  in  the  English  language.  In  fact,  he  has 
bought  books  and  acquired  books  until  he  has 
accumulated  a  store  of  them  that  really  pleases 
the  mind  of  a  student.  Many  of  his  books  are 
rare  and  some  of  them  are  prized. 

He  left  the  Grantsburg  neighborhood  about 
February  1,  1866,  and  went  with  his  uncle,  J.  P. 
Throgmorton,  to  Grassy  Precinct,  Williamson 
county.  In  a  short  time  he  entered  school  at  the 
"Baker  school  house,"  where  Pleasant  Hill  Bap- 


34  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

tist  church  is  now  located,  and  attended  about 
two  months.  The  teacher  was  a  Miss  Nettie  Tay- 
lor of  Ohio,  a  most  efficient  woman.  During 
this  time  in  school  he  boarded  at  the  home  of 
'Squire  John  Allmon,  who  lived  something  over 
a  mile  northwest  of  the  school  house. 

At  this  same  school  house,  in  the  following 
summer,  he  taught  a  subscription  school  of 
three  months  and  had  his  first  experience  in 
teaching  young  ideas  how  to  shoot.  In  the  fol- 
lowing fall  (1866)  he  contracted  for  the  Oaks 
school,  and  with  fear  and  trembling  came  to  Ma- 
rion to  be  examined  for  a  certificate.  The  su- 
perintendent was  Rev.  D.  G.  Young,  a  Baptist 
minister,  who  now  lives  at  Golden  City,  Mo.  The 
result  was  entirely  satisfactory  to  the  young 
would-be  pedagogue,  as  the  superintendent 
bragged  on  him  for  being  so  well  posted,  and 
gave  him  a  first  grade  certificate.. 

A  School  Teacher. 

The  next  year  he  secured  the  Pleasant  Hill 
(or  Baker)  school,  but  after  teaching  nine  days 
was  prostrated  with  typhoid  fever,  which  put 
him  out  of  commission  till  in  January  following. 
Of  course  he  lost  that  school,  as  another  teacher 
had  to  be  employed.  He  was  fortunate,  how- 
ever, to  secure  the  Oaks  school  again,  as  the 
teacher  there  resigned  about  two  and  a  half 
months  before  his  time  would  have  expired. 
During  this  two  and  a  half  months  he  boarded  at 
the  home  of  his  future  wife,  and  this  may  have 


GROWING    UP    IN    ILLINOIS  35 

had  something  to  do  with  the  formation  of  the 
life  partnership  which  followed. 

His  Marriage  to  Eliza  C.  Baker. 

At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  was  married  to 
Eliza  C.  Baker,  daughter  of  David  Baker,  at  the 
old  home  on  Baker  Ridge,  September  24,  1868, 
at  about  4  p.  m.,  in  the  presence  of  relatives  and 
friends.  This  was,  without  doubt,  one  of  the 
very  best  steps  of  his  long  life,  and  it  has  proved 
a  blessing  to  him  continually.  Were  his  wife  to 
be  taken,  it  is  firmly  believed  that  he  would  be 
one  of  the  loneliest  men  in  the  world. 

Mrs.  Throgmorton  is  one  of  the  best  of  wo- 
men, pleasant,  patient,  true  to  her  duties  and 
responsibilities,  ever  ready  to  be  of  assistance,  a 
real  help-meet.  Without  her  Dr.  Throgmorton 
would  have  been  severely  bereft.  She  has  filled 
out  his  life  like  a  landscape  with  all  the  particu- 
lars present.  In  her  life  may  be  summed  up  the 
special  characteristics  that  make  for  success  in 
a  model  minister's  wife. 

She  was  born  in  Tennessee  and  her  parents 
emigrated  to  this  state  in  1854,  when  she  was  two 
years  old.  She  has  a  host  of  kinfolks  in  the  Ba- 
ker and  Sanders  connections,  and  her  brother,  M. 
L.  Baker,  of  the  firm  of  Duncan  &  Baker,  lives  in 
Marion  and  is  one  of  the  county's  most  substan- 
tial citizens. 

Again  in  School. 

In  the  spring  and  summer  of  1868  he  attend- 
ed a  select  school  for  young  men  at  Stonefort, 
Saline  county,  taught  by  W.  E.  Chitwood,  who 


36  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

was  considered  one  of  the  finest  instructors  in 
the  country  or  in  surrounding  counties.  Here 
he  studied  algebra  and  geometry  and  made  prog- 
gress  in  other  advanced  studies.  It  was  a  great 
school  for  him  and  the  young  men  who  were 
with  him.  Among  the  young  men  were  several 
who  afterwards  became  prominent  in  business 
and  professional  life.  One  of  them  was  Rev.  J. 
H.  Blackman,  of  Harrisburg.  Another  Dr.  G.  J. 
Baker,  of  Herrin,  who  a  year  or  so  ago  passed 
away.  Also  J.  C.  B.  Smith,  a  lawyer  of  Marion, 
and  Brother  D.  C.  Smith,  now  of  Willow 
Springs,  Mo.  Rev.  J.  Y.  Reid  might  also  be 
mentioned.  He  is  now  a  prominent  minister  in 
the  M.  E.  Church. 

Still  Teaching. 

He  taught  school  from  1867  to  1877,  when  he 
moved  to  Benton.  Perhaps  some  of  his  old  schol- 
ars would  be  interested  in  reading  the  names  of 
the  schools  he  taught:  Oaks,  1867-8;  Birdwell, 
1868-69  and  69-70;  Pleasant  Hill,  1870-72; 
Birdwell,  1872-3  and  73-4;  Wilburn,  1874-5  and 
75-6 ;  and  Ragan,  1876-7. 

There  was  no  better  training  in  that  day  for 
his  life  work  than  that  of  school  teaching. 
He  developed  all  round  from  the  first  and  be- 
came a  man  at  last  whom  the  community  de- 
lighted to  honor.  Let  the  reader  please  turn  to 
the  next  chapter  and  to  "Incidents  and  Anec- 
dotes" regarding  his  life  for  further  proof  of 
the  value  school  teaching  was  to  his  career. 


GROWING    UP    IN    ILLINOIS  37 

Joining  the  Church. 
He  professed  conversion  at  home  in  the 
neighborhood  of  old  Pleasant  Hill  Baptist 
church,  Williamson  county,  and  joined  the 
church  July  3,  1870,  and  was  baptized  into  the 
fellowship  of  the  same  church  by  Elder  David 
li.  Sanders.  Just  one  month  later  he  was  li- 
censed to  preach  at  the  Saturday  business 
meeting,  and  the  next  day  tried  to  preach  his  first 
sermon.  He  Was  ordained  to  the  ministry  in  the 
same  church  in  December,  1871,  Elders  D.  R. 
Sanders  and  David  Culp,  presbytery.  He  did 
very  little  preaching  until  the  fall  of  1873,  when 
He  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  Hopewell  Bap- 
tist church,  in  Johnson  county. 


CHAPTER  V. 
BUILDING  HIS  FIRST  CHURCH. 

It  was  in  August,  1874,  that  Dr.  Thrognior- 
tou  held  his  first  protracted  meeting.  He  had 
teen  pastor  of  Hopewell,  which  was  then  located 
a  mile  and  a  quarter  south  of  New  Burnside,  for 
almost  a  year,  and  the  meeting  wound  up  the 
year.  There  were  forty-three  baptized,  about 
thirty  joining  Hopewell,  and  the  rest  Zion  Hill, 
Pope  county.  It  was  a  meeting  of  unusual  pow- 
er. Many  men,  heads  of  families,  were  reached. 
Among  them  were  G.  W.  Smoot,  Dr.  W.  R.  Mi- 
zell,  J.  C.  B.  Heaton,  three  of  the  Wise  brothers, 
and  other  good  men  and  women,  who  have  influ- 
enced the  life  of  the  land  where  they  have  since 
lived. 

New  Burnside  Baptist  Meeting  House. 

Out  of  this  great  revival  meeting  grew  the 
idea  of  a  Baptist  meeting  house  at  New  Burn- 
side. As  many  of  the  newly  baptized  members  of 
Old  Hopewell  lived  in  and  near  New  Burnside, 
they  naturally  wanted  a  church  in  the  town, 
where  people  without  conveyance  could  attend. 
So  the  present  building  was  started  before  the 
church  was  organized,  and  in  the  spring  of  1875 
the  New  Burnside  church  was  constituted  in  the 
building  which  was  incomplete. 

It  was  successful  from  the  start.  Baptisms 
occurred  right  along,  the  people  stood  by  the 
young  preacher,  and  despite  intense  opposi- 
tion helped  him  complete  the  building  and  es- 
tablish the  church  on  a  rock,  where  it  has  since 

38 


BUILDING    HIS    FIRST    CHURCH  39 

flourished.  The  same  house  of  worship  is  stand- 
ing today,  and  with  an  addition  of  a  basement, 
presents  a  nice  view  to  the  passing  traveler  and 
is  a  suitable  building  for  all  purposes  of  wor- 
ship. The  church  has  advanced  to  twice  a  month 
preaching  and  is  prospering  at  present,  under  the 
wise  leadership  of  Bro.  W.  L.  Motsmger.  Thus 
a  strong  church  was  established,  through  the  ag- 
gressive ministry  of  Dr.  Throgmorton,  at  New 
Burnside. 

This  was  his  first  church  building.  The  last 
was  that  of  the  First  Baptist  church  of  Marion, 
costing  $35,000,  which  is  an  honor  to  his  denomi- 
nation in  this  day  of  expensive  church  buildings. 
In  between  these  two  he  put  up  the  house  of  wor- 
ship at  Mt.  Vernon,  after  the  destruction  of  the 
old  by  the  great  cyclone  of  1888,  and  also  built 
the  beautiful  First  Church  at  Louisiana,  Mo., 
and  rebuilt  the  house  of  worship  at  Du  Quoin, 

Reminiscences  of  Deacon  J.  W.  Heaton,  Sr., 
New  Burnside. 

"The  first  time  I  ever  saw  the  man,  or  boy  ne 
was  then,  he  came  to  my  house  to  get  a  school. 
I  was  one  of  the  school  directors  at  that  time, 
and  went  with  him  to  another  school  director, 
and  we  hired  him. 

"Immediately  after  signing  up  for  the  school 
he  returned  to  Grassy,  in  Williamson  county, 
and  married  him  a  wife.  (That  event  occurred 
(September  24,  1868.)  When  school  conmmenced 
he  would  sometimes  walk  twenty  miles  to  see  his 


40  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

wife  on  Saturday  and  be  back  for  school  again 
on  Monday  morning. 

"He  boarded  at  my  house.  I  had  children  of 
all  sizes  at  that  time,  and  when  the  mud  and 
snow  came,  he  would  take  the  least  one  on  his 
back  one-fourth  mile  to  school. 

"The  next  year  we  gave  him  the  school  again. 
As  it  was  such  a  long  walk  to  his  father-in-law's, 
he  concluded  to  set  up  housekeeping  for  himself. 
The  only  house  to  be  had  was  a  little  log  cabin 
in  the  corner  of  old  Aunt  Sallie  Robinson's  yard, 
for  which  he  paid  |2.50  per  month.  When  I 
asked  him  why  he  paid  such  a  price  for  so  small 
a  cabin,  he  replied  that,  'Liza  was  lonesome  and 
might  run  off,  if  he  put  her  off  by  herself.'  I  had 
a  good  log  house  out  in  the  middle  of  my  field, 
which  I  offered  him  rent  free  as  long  as  he  want- 
ed it.  He  promptly  accepted  the  offer,  moved 
in  and  stayed  there  several  months.  (Brother 
J.  C.  B.  Heaton  sent  him  a  photograph  of  the 
cabin,  and  he  wrote  about  it  in  the  Illinois  Bap- 
tist, as  follows:  'It  was  chinked  and  daubed, 
and  had  a  stick  and  dirt  chimney.  More  than 
once  did  we  have  trouble  with  that  chimney  when 
it  caught  fire.  And  yet,  with  our  better  half,  we 
do  not  know  that  we  ever  enjoyed  a  happier  six 
months.') 

"He  organized  a  debating  society  in  the  school 
house  the  first  winter,  and  kept  it  going  until  he 
began  to  develop  such  a  polemical  disposition 
that  he  attracted  the  attention  of  the  whole 
country.     I  thought  I  saw  in  him    the    making 


BUILDING    HIS    FIRST    CHURCH  41 

of  a  one-horse  Baptist  preacher.  I  called  the 
attention  of  old  Father  Morton  to  what  I  thought 
I  saw  and  he,  being  a  leader  of  the  Baptist 
hosts  at  that  time,  took  him  in  charge  to  see  what 
there  was  in  him.  He  tried  him  out,  having  him 
preach  a  few  times  in  the  church  where  he  was 
pastor. 

"So  he  called  in  Brethren  W.  B.  Lewis,  C.  H. 
Caldwell  and  Wilson  Vancleve  to  hear  him 
preach.  They  saw  in  him  big  possibilities,  but 
thought  he  should  be  properly  ballasted  before 
turning  him  loose  on  the  country.  He  was  wad- 
ing out,  they  thought,  into  water  that  was  too 
deep  for -a  boy  of  his  age  and  experience.  After 
eleven  o'clock  meeting  they  decided  it  would  be 
a  good  time  to  line  him  up  on  a  few  points.  But 
when  they  got  what  they  thought  was  a  strangle 
hold  on  him,  about  one  o'clock,  it  took  them  until 
sundown  to  get  loose.  He  convinced  them  that 
he  was  well  able  to  defend  his  positions  against 
all  comers. 

"Still  they  were  unwilling  to  let  it  go  at  that 
and  they  brought  in  other  help  and  fought  it  out 
at  church,  other  meeting  places  and  through  the 
new  Baptist  Banner,  until  he  made  believers  of 
the  whole  bunch. 

During  this  discussion  I  saw  that  he  had  a 
clear  head,  that  he  came  to  his  conclusion  after 
carefully  considering  a  question  from  all  angles, 
and  when  once  he  settled  on  a  point  he  stuck  to 
it  like  a  bull-pup  in  a  dog  fight.  (Uncle  Jim 
Heaton  uses  forceful  language. ) 


42  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

About  this  time  New  Burnside  began  to  as- 
sume some  prominence  as  a  trading  center,  and 
he  saw  we  needed  a  Baptist  church.  Some  Cainp- 
bellite  brethren  saw  the  same  opportunity,  and 
sought  to  preempt  their  claim.  They  seemed  to 
swarm  from  all  quarters  and  settle  at  Burnside. 
They  had  their  Elders,  Crim  and  Wilson,  two 
noted  debaters,  and  W.  H.  Boles,  at  that  time  a 
budding  preacher,  and  all  semed  to  have  a  con- 
suming desire  to  squelch  the  Baptists  and  pos- 
sess the  town. 

"The  young  Throgmorton  was  our  only  de- 
fense. He  was  still  teaching  school,  and  every 
dollar  he  got  he  laid  it  by  to  put  into  a  Baptist 
church.  Our  Campbellite  brethren  soon  learned 
that  our  boy,  Throgmorton,  was  like  a  hair  man, 
when  he  was  set  down  upon  in  one  place  he 
came  up  in  another,  and  the  more  they  fought 
him  the  more  his  'bull-pup'  disposition  devel- 
oped. They  challenged  him  for  a  debate,  and  he 
promptly  accepted.  They  put  up  their  best  avail- 
able man.  After  two  days'  effort  he  broke  down, 
and  they  called  off  the  debate,  saying  they  would 
down  Throgmorton  if  it  cost  $100.00.  They 
brought  out  the  best  debater  they  had  in  South- 
ern Illinois,  and  the  debate  was  renewed,  to  their 
discomfiture  again.  Bro.  Throgmorton  being  only 
a  beardless  young  man  at  this  time,  it  was  a  bit- 
ter pill  to  the  Campbellites  to  have  their  old  war 
horses  so  mercilessly  lambasted  by  him. 

"About  this  time  the  Baptist  Banner  printed 
at  Ewing  was  in  great  need  of  a  right  man  for 


BUILDING    HIS    FIRST    CHURCH  43 

editor.  The  brethren  there  determined  that  the 
man  who  could  so  successfully  defend  the  Baptist 
cause  against  such  men  as  he  had  met  at  New 
Burnside  would  make  a  good  editor.  So  they  sent 
E.  R.  Link  down  here  to  see  if  he  could  be  induced 
to  take  charge  of  the  paper.  But  Link  missed 
him.  He  was  out  in  Union  county  preaching  for 
a  charge  there.  Then  Link  interviewed  me,  and  I 
decided  that  our  boy  Throgmorton  should  go,  if 
the  brethren  would  finance  the  enterprise  just 
as  they  should.  When  he  came  home  I  met  him 
and  told  him  about  the  proposition  and  he  agreed 
to  go. 

After  a  time  I  visited  him  at  Benton  to  see 
how  he  was  performing.  I  found  him  with  an  old 
horse  power  ground  hog  thresher  staked  down, 
and  a  printing  machine  attached  tc  it,  and  one 
horse  operating  it.  To  my  certain  knowledge 
that  was  the  first  printing  machine  in  these  five 
counties.  'I  said,  'My  boy,  I'll  turn  you  loose; 
if  you  can  not  get  the  pie  you  will  take  the  dump- 
liners. 

Signed :  J.  W.  Heaton,  Sr." 


i&» 


CHAPTER  VI. 

HIS    ALL-TIME     PASTORATES— BENTON, 
MT.  VERNON,    LOUISIANA,  MO.,  FORT 
SMITH,  ARK.,  DU  QUOIN,  AND  MA- 
RION. 

Besides  his  ten  years  of  work  among  the 
churches  of  his  neighborhood  training,  he  has 
pa  stored  town  and  city  churches  almost  thirty- 
six  years.  The  first  one  of  these  was  Benton, 
111.,  the  next,  Mt.  Vernon,  111.,  then  came  Louis- 
ana,  Mo.,  Fort  Smith,  Ark.,  DuQuoin,  111.,  and 
Marion,  111.,  his  last  pastorate,  over  which  he 
still  presides.  It  is  impossible  to  give  in  a  brief 
biography  much  of  the  story  of  each  pastorate. 
Much  must  be  left  out. 

Benton,  July  28, 1877  to  December  31, 1886. 

"We  arrived  at  Benton  on  the  28th  of  July, 
1877.  Our  impression  of  the  town  is  a  good  one. 
There  seems  to  be  quite  a  number  of  live  busi- 
ness men  here ;  and  when  the  B.  &  E.  R.  R.  places 
us  in  better  communication  with  the  outside 
world,  we  predict  that  Benton  will  be  one  of  the 
best  business  points  in  Southern  Illinois.  It  has 
the  country  around  it,  and  the  necessary  enter- 
prise, we  think,  to  make  it  so. 

"We  are  glad  to  find  there  is  a  good  Baptist 
church  here.  It  numbers  upwards  of  two  hun- 
dred members.  They  have  their  new  brick  house 
for  worship  almost  completed." — From  his  first 
issue  of  Baptist  Banner,  August  8,  1877. 

44 


HIS  ALL-TIME  PASTORATES  45 

Honor  For  the  Country  Pastor, 

At  first  he  served  the  Benton  church  on  the 
once  a  month  plan.  During  a  part  of  that  time 
he  supplied  two  ne/ghboring  churches,  Mt.  Zion 
and  Town  Mount  Prairie,  also  still  retaining 
New  Burnside. 

To  his  honor  be  it  said  that  he  was  a  country 
preacher  in  fact  and  indeed.  The  great  P.  H. 
Mell  of  Georgia,  who  remained  a  pastor  of  coun- 
try churches  to  his  dying  hour,  was  president  of 
the  Southern  Baptist  Convention  for  fifteen 
years,  an  honor  that  is  coveted  by  the  strongest 
men  in  the  denomination. 

The  country  preacher  is  nature's  nobleman. 
God  has  a  use  for  him  above  his  fellows.  When 
the  roses  are  distributed  on  the  streets  of  gold,  I 
think  many  of  them  will  go  to  the  men  who 
held  once  a  month  country  pastorates ;  for  their 
lot  was  hard,  their  toil  was  severe,  and  their  re- 
ward shall  be  glorious.  All  honor  to  the  man  who 
pastors  a  country  church !  This  is  life's  most  dif- 
ficult job,  if  well  done. 

Four  Hundred  Dollars  Salary  at  First. 

Beginning  with  January  1,  1880,  he  preached 
every  Sunday  for  Benton  First,  except  a  brief 
time  in  1882,  When  he  preached  twice  a  month, 
after  which  he  preached  for  full  time  till  the  close 
of  the  pastorate. 

His  once  a  month  salary  was  |120.00  per 
year.  His  full  time  salary  at  the  beginning  was 
$400.00.  The  last  year  of  his  pastorate  there  it 
was  |1,200.00.    The  reason  for  that  increase  was 


4  6  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

his  purposed  resignation  in  December,  18SG,  to 
go  to  Du  Quoin,  having  received  a  call  there.  The 
Benton  church  did  not  wish  him  to  leave  and  so 
made  their  supreme  effort  to  retain  him.  Twelve 
hundred  was  a  large  salary  for  that  place  at  that 
time.  So  he  remained  there  one  more  year,  fol- 
lowing which  he  went  to  Mt.  Vernon  and  became 
pastor  there. 

Eventful  Years. 

His  nine  years  work  at  Benton  was  eventful, 
but  prosperous.  He  met  many  difficulties,  but 
everything  was  so  managed  that  on  the  whole  he 
was  successful  and  happy.  He  likes  to  say,  that 
no  better  people  ever  lived  than  were  the  Baptists 
of  the  First  church  of  Benton  in  those  years. 
They  were  good  citizens,  believed  in  progress, 
were  sound  in  faith,  and  liberal  with  their  means ; 
and  they  believed  in  their  pastor  and  stood  by 
him. 

Not  a  year  of  the  nine  and  over  was  fruitless. 
The  field  was  not  large,  but  each  year  there  were 
additions.  Twice  they  had  great  revivals.  One 
of  them  was  in  January,  1882 ;  the  other  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1885.  In  the  1882  revival  Brother  J.  Car- 
roll Harriss  helped  him,  and  Dr.  Throgmorton 
was  highly  pleased  with  him.  They  have  been 
great  friends  ever  since.  Brother  Harriss 
tells  many  incidents  of  that  meeting  with  evident 
relish.  Many  of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  town 
came  into  the  church.  The  1885  revival  was  con- 
ducted by  the  pastor,  and  was  one  of  his  most  suc- 
cessful meetings.    A  large  number  of  good  people 


HIS    ALL-TIME    PASTORATES  47 

were  reached  and  the  effect  was  telling  in  every 
way  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  cause. 

He  names  other  men,  who  helped  in  meetings 
at  Benton  as  follows:  J.  M.  Bennett,  J.  C.  Wil- 
son, David  Culp,  W.  W.  Hay,  Calvin  Allen.    Ev- 
ery one  of  whom  has  crossed  the  river  of  death. 
Names  of  Prominent  Members. 

He  thinks  it  would  be  difficult  to  give  names 
of  his  Benton  flock  and  speak  of  their  virtues 
without  undue  discrimination.  He,  however, 
names  the  following:  Deacon  Levi  Browning 
stands  out  among  them  prominently,  as  a  man 
thoroughly  devoted  to  God  and  to  his  church. 
When  he  was  in  the  mercantile  business,  his  store 
closed  when  week  day  service  came.  For  years 
he  led  the  song  service  and  his  place  was  never 
vacant  unless  he  was  sick.  His  time,  his  means, 
himself — all  were  the  Lord's. 

John  Ward  was  another  good  deacon.  C.  A. 
Akin  was  for  years  church  clerk.  Judge  R.  H. 
Flannigan,  now  of  East  St.  Louis,  was  at  Benton 
in  those  days.  Judge  D.  M.  Browning,  first,  coun- 
ty judge,  later  circuit  judge,  still  later,  Commis- 
sioner of  Indian  Affairs  under  President  Cleve- 
land, was  one  of  the  church's  stand-bys.  C.  C. 
Payne  was  as  faithful  as  the  days  were  long. 
There  was  no  better  man  than  T.  C.  S.  Hawkins. 
Multitudes  always  said  and  do  yet,  that  "Deacon 
Wesley  Payne  is  the  best  man  in  town."  He  is 
still  living  though  now  well  past  eighty.  Dr.  Z. 
Hickman  was  in  those  days  the  same  efficient 
Sunday  school  teacher,  Bible  student  and  sue- 


48  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

cessful  physician  that  he  is  now.  George  Ross 
now  of  Washington,  D.  C,  was  the  pastor's  right 
hand  man,  ever  loyal.  Another  brother  who  mov- 
ed to  Benton  two  or  three  years  before  Dr.  Throg- 
morton  was  there,  was  Deacon  J.  T.  Chenault, 
who  was  a  strong  supporter  of  the  church  and  a 
man  most  competent  in  business  and  in  work.  In 
each  case  the  good  wives  of  these  men  named 
were  worthy  of  mention  also.  Many  others  were 
worthy  to  be  named,  also,  but  space  will  not  per 
mit. 

Serious  and  Trivial  Difficulties. 

Every  church  has  its  little  ups  and  downs, 
and  then  its  serious  ones.  Benton  was  no  excep- 
tion to  this  rule.  They  had  in  those  days  some 
who  opposed  the  organ  in  the  church.  Good 
people  they  were,  too.  Some  likewise  good,  did 
not  believe  in  having  a  baptistry.  They  said  they 
did  not  want  to  see  people  baptized  in  a  cellar. 
There  were  people  equally  good  and  sincere  who 
objected  to  special  songs  and  could  not  endure  a 
solo,  a  duet,  a  trio,  or  a  quartet.  Others  opposed 
any  kind  of  entertainment  in  the  house  of  wor- 
ship. To  keep  on  good  terms  with  all  these  and 
yet  have  the  things  he  wanted  was  not  an  easy 
thing  for  the  pastor.  Yet  he  succeeded  fairly  well 
and  nearly  every  one  of  them  was  the  pastor's 
friend. 

The  most  serious  thing  during  his  Benton 
pastorate  was  a  strife  that  arose  concerning  the 
prohibition  question.  He  was  then  as  now, 
strongly  opposed  to  saloons  and  preached  against 


HIS  ALL-TIME  PASTORATES  4  9 

them  and  insisted  that  the  man  who  voted  for 
them,  signed  a  petition  for  them,  or  rented  his 
house  for  saloon  purposes,  should  be  excluded 
from  fellowship.  Out  of  this  grew  a  controversy, 
which  for  the  time  caused  much  bitterness  which 
finally  resulted  in  the  organization  of  a  Second 
Baptist  church.  For  a  year  or  so  the  new  church 
did  not  get  recognized  in  the  association,  but  it 
finally  adopted  a  church  covenant  that  gave  it 
full  fellowship,  which  it  has  retained  ever  since. 

In  connection  with  the  peaceable  settlement 
between  the  two  churches  was  a  laughable  inci- 
dent. The  peace  conference's  joint  committee 
held  its  meeting  at  night  and  at  near  ten  o'clock 
reached  its  agreement — one  satisfactory  to  all 
concerned.  It  was  agreed  that  immediately  the 
bells  of  the  two  churches  should  be  rung — -late  as 
it  was.  In  the  town  there  was  no  fire  alarm  bell 
or  whistle,  and  the  custom  was  to  awaken  the 
town  when  there  was  a  fire  by  ringing  the  church 
bells.  The  committee  did  not  think  of  this.  So 
st  the  late  hour  Brother  J.  J.  Miller  and  others 
went  to  the  second  church  and  Dr.  Washburn 
and  Dr.  Throgmorton  went  to  the  first  church  to 
ring  the  bells.  While  Dr.  Throgmorton  went  in- 
to the  belfry,  Dr.  Washburn  remained  outside. 
When  the  bells  rang  out  the  people  were  not  long 
in  waking  up  and  getting  out  on  the  streets. 
Here  came  a  host  of  them  to  the  church  where  Dr. 
Washburn  was  standing  outside.  One  excited 
gentleman  rushed  up  to  him  exclaiming,  "Where 
is  the  fire?"     In  his  peculiarly  impressive  way 


50  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.   THROGMORTON 

Dr.  Washburn  replied :  "It  is  the  fire  of  heaven." 

Mad  as  a  hornet  the  man  shot  back :  "The  h 

it  is!"  There  was  a  lot  of  mad  people  on  the 
streets  that  night.  The  next  day,  some  of  the 
hot-headed  ones  had  the  bell  ringers  arrested  and 
they  were  tried  for  raising  a  false  alarm  of  fire, 
and  were  found  guilty  and  a  fine  assessed.  How- 
ever, they  never  paid  the  fine  as  it  was  later  re- 
mitted. 

The  controversies  have  passed,  the  bitterness 
has  been  silently  buried,  time  has  entombed  the 
dead  issues  of  other  days,  and  the  Doctor  thinks 
kindly  of  people  in  the  town  of  Benton.  While 
memory's  gilded  chain  measures  the  pathway  be- 
tween the  present  and  the  past,  and  gently  closes 
the  intervening  space  of  forty  years,  there  comes 
to  mind  only  that  which  pleases,  and  what  was 
once  unpleasant  now  seems  but  a  dream  which 
has  been  forgotten  forever. 

Preparing  to  Move. 

From  the  files  of  the  old  Baptist  Banner  of 
August  18,  1886,  the  following  editorial  is  signif- 
icant : 

"We  believe  in  long  pastorates.  Just  as  long 
as  a  minister  suits  a  people  and  they  suit  him, 
they  ought  to  remain  together.  There  should 
never  be  a  change  just  for  the  sake  of  a  change. 
The  old  minister,  if  he  has  his  people's  hearts, 
can  do  more  with  them  and  for  them  than  any 
other  living  man.  Still  there  come  times  when 
there  ought  to  be  a  change.  That  time  is  when 
pastor  and  people  have  grown  apart  in  thought 


HIS  ALL-TIME  PASTORATES  51 

and  feeling,  as  well  as  where  there  is  open  antag- 
onism. The  pastor  ought  always  to  have  percep- 
tion enough  to  understand  when  this  comes  to  be 
the  case  and  when  it  is  so,  he  should  suffer  no 
false  notions  of  pride  or  ambition  to  hinder  him 
from  tendering  his  resignation  at  an  early  day." 

This  was  written  at  the  commencement  of  his 
tenth  year.  He  closed  his  work  with  December 
31st,  1886,  and  took  charge  a<  Mt.  Vernon  First 
Baptist  church  January  1,  1887.  The  Banner 
had  already  been  moved,  and  two  issues  sent  out 
from  Mt.  Vernon  in  December. 

Tribute  to  Mrs.  Throgmorton. 

Before  closing  the  Benton  chapter  Mrs. 
Throgmorton's  dutiful  life  should  be  mentioned. 
When  they  first  moved  to  Benton  they  went  to 
housekeeping  in  the  upstairs  rooms  of  Uncle  Levi 
Browning's  noted  old  residence,  situated  on  the 
Southwest  corner  of  the  public  square,  where 
Aunt  Tabitha,  the  widow  of  Uncle  Levi,  still  re- 
sides. In  these  rooms  they  lived  about  three 
years  in  a  very  simple  way. 

It  must  be  remembered  also  that  when  they 
moved  to  Benton  forty  years  ago,  Benton's  first 
railroad  was  only  building  and  had  not  yet  reach- 
ed the  town.  They  had  mail  hacks  or  stages,  to 
Mt.  Vernon  and  DuQuoin,  and  traveling  was 
all  done  overland.  Ewing  College  had  been  estab- 
lished by  Dr.  Washburn  some  ten  years  previous. 
Benton  had  been  given  the  opportunity  to  secure 
tlie  college,  and  had  raised  something  like 
$2,500  and  then  let  the  proposition  lag,  and  fall 


52  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

by  the  way.    Benton  was  the  stopping  place  from 
the  South  for  Ewing  College  and  on  North. 

While  Dr.  Throgmorton  (with  old  George) 
was  away  on  his  tours,  working  up  subscribers 
for  the  paper,  Mrs.  Throgmorton  was  doing  two 
women's  work  at  home.  She  folded  the  papers 
and  assisted  in  mailing  them.  She  did  the  visit- 
ing and  seeing  the  sick.  She  looked  after  his 
mail,  and  kept  up  his  correspondence.  She  did 
her  own  housework,  and  kept  boarding  house  a 
part  of  the  time  for  transients — those  overland 
travelers  from  the  South  and  North.  And  in  a 
thousand  ways  she  made  herself  useful  to  him  in 
his  wider  work  of  reaching  the  people.  In  this 
way  she  was  doing  what  she  could  to  advance  his 
life  along  the  lines  that  have  brought  him  to  the 
front.  It  is  an  old  saying  that  a  wife  either 
makes  or  breaks  a  man.  Mrs.  Throgmorton  has 
largely  helped  to  make  Dr.  Throgmorton  what 
he  is  today,  a  man  of  the  people,  beloved  by  a 
large  following  of  Baptist  people  in  Illinois  and 
elsewhere.  This  is  woman's  better  sphere  and  her 
sublime  work,  making  a  home. 

Moved  to  Aft.  Vernon,  Illinois. 

When  he  became  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist 
church  of  Mt.  Vernon,  in  January,  1887,  he 
found  a  very  weak  church  organization,  especial- 
ly in  finances,  and  the  membership  on  paper 
numbered  but  129.  His  predecessor  was  Brother 
J.  J.  Midkiff,  whose  name  had  already  appeared 
in  the  columns  of  the  Banner,  and  who  has  con- 


HIS  ALL-TIME  PASTORATES  53 

sistently  upheld  Baptist  interests  in  this  part  of 
the  state  throughout  the  years. 

Leaders  in  the  Work. 
When  he  went  there  the  leaders  in  the  work, 
as  he  now  recalls  them,  were :  A.  C.  Webb,  G.  W. 
Reed,  J.  W.  Herrin,  John  Bray,  Thomas  Kimbro, 
C.  R.  Poole,  Chas.  Heiserman,  Henderson  Daily, 
A.  J.  Williamson,  Mrs.  G.  W.  Morgan,  Mrs.  Shew 
and  Mrs.  M.  T.  Howard.  There  were  others  al- 
so, and  many  others  came  in  at  an  early  date. 
Church  Prospers. 
From  the  beginning  the  work  prospered.  Dur- 
ing his  first  year,  there  were  more  than  100  ad- 
ditions and  much  financial  strength  was  added. 
Two  meetings  were  held,  both  of  them  successful. 
In  the  second  one,  he  had  the  valuable  assistance 
of  Dr.  J.  J.  Porter,  who  was  in  evangelistic  work 
at  that  time.  He  was  a  great  preacher.  Soon 
after  the  meeting  he  married  one  of  the  church's 
best  young  women,  Miss  Dollie  Carpenter,  and 
took  her  away. 

Cyclone  Feb.  19,  1888. 
On  February  19,  1888,  during  his  second  year 
at  Mt.  Vernon,  there  came  a  cyclone  that  de- 
stroyed the  church  building,  wrecked  a  consider- 
able portion  of  the  city  and  caused  twenty-nine 
deaths.  This  put  the  church  out  of  doors  until  a 
new  home  could  be  erected.  For  the  new  struc- 
ture they  received  help  from  a  multitude  of  Bap- 
tists both  in  and  out  of  the  state.  A  new  site 
was  selected  and  a  beautiful  house  of  worship 
was  built,  at  a  cost  of  about  |10,000.00.    This 


54  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.   THROGMORTON 

was  dedicated  in  November,  1888,  Dr.  John  A. 
Broadns  of  Louisville,  Ky.,  preaching  the  ser- 
mon. The  dedication  pledges  were  taken  by  Bro. 
E.  S.  Graham. 

Revivals. 

During  the  summer  preceding  the  dedication 
a  revival  meeting  was  held  in  East  Mt.  Vernon, 
in  which  were  150  additions  to  the  First  church. 
In  this  meeting  the  inimitable  and  lovable 
Bro.  Calvin  Richardson  was  the  assistant.  He 
was  then  the  Associational  Missionary,  but  has 
since  gone  to  his  reward.  "Bro.  Cal"  is  remem- 
bered by  a  host  of  people  in  this  section,  who 
loved  him  for  his  works'  sake. 

Soon  after  the  dedication  of  the  new  house, 
Dr.  Throgmorton  had  Major  Penn,  the  great 
Texas  evangelist,  with  him  for  four  weeks  in 
meetings.  In  these  meetings  104  persons  claimed 
conversion.  It  was  a  wonderful  campaign.  Maj. 
Penn's  method  was  to  invite  seekers  forward  to 
front  seats,  where  they  were  not  talked  to,  ex- 
cept in  the  public  address  by  any  one.  Major 
Penn  was  a  great  singer,  and  it  was  the  magic  of 
his  voice  that  led  thousands  to  Jesus.  His  song 
books  were  widely  circulated  in  the  Southwest, 
where  he  labored  mostly  during  his  eventful 
years. 

Results. 

At  the  conclusion  of  Dr.  Throgmorton's  pas- 
torate of  three  years  the  results  were,  a  new  and 
beautiful  house  of  worship,  a  total  number  of  ad- 
ditions of  297,  and  a  total  membership  of  more 


HIS  ALL-TIME  PASTORATES  55 

than  400.  Circumstances,  all  of  which  were  con- 
trolled by  divine  Providence,  worked  out  these 
great  results. 

During  the  first  three  months  of  1890  he  did 
evangelistic  work,  being  interrupted  a  little  by 
the  epidemic  so  prevalent,  "Lagrippe."  In  March 
he  conducted  a  very  successful  meeting  at  Ben- 
ton, his  former  home. 

Pastorate  at  Louisiana,  Missouri. 

The  first  of  April,  1890,  he  began  work  as 
pastor  at  Louisiana,  Mo.,  and  continued  there 
for  two  years  and  four  months.  It  was  a  pleas- 
ant field.  He  had  a  delightful  flock  and  the  peo- 
ple heard  him  gladly.  In  the  fall  he  had  the  help 
of  his  old  friend,  E.  S.  Graham  of  Upper  Alton, 
in  a  series  of  meetings,  in  which  there  were  many 
additions.  A  little  later,  in  January,  he  had  Dr. 
S.  M.  Brown  of  Kansas  City,  editor  of  The  Word 
and  Way,  for  a  few  days,  when  still  others  were 
added  to  the  membership.  Dr.  Brown  is  one  of 
the  geniuses  of  the  Baptist  denomination.  As 
editor,  author,  lecturer,  preacher,  and  evangel- 
ist, he  has  become  widely  known,  and  his  assist- 
ance in  revivals  is  always  a  treat. 

Neiv  Building  Erected. 

In  the  spring  of  1891  a  building  campaign 
was  launched.  The  old  house  of  worship  was 
out  of  date  and  somewhat  out  of  repair.  A  new 
location  was  secured  and  one  of  the  best  houses 
of  worship  in  Northeast  Missouri  was  erected. 
It  was  dedicated  in  November,  1891,  without  a 
dollar  of  indebtedness.  The  sermon  was  preached 


56  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

by  Major  W.  E.  Penn,  and  with  that  began 
another  series  of  meetings,  which  continued  for 
one  month,  and  the  campaign  was  a  success. 

He  remained  with  the  church  until  August, 
1892,  when  he  left  for  Fort  Smith,  Ark.,  from 
which  place  he  had  received  an  urgent  and  un- 
expected call.  To  leave  the  many  kind  friends 
at  Louisiana  was  a  task.  He  mentions  the  Mc- 
Cunes,  the  Tinsleys,  the  Marshes,  the  Stranges, 
the  Milroys,  the  Ayers,  the  Headricks,  and  a 
large  number  of  others — all  the  best  type  of 
people. 

Bethany  "Near  By." 

In  addition  to  the  work  in  Louisiana,  he  had 
a  charge  in  the  country,  three  miles  out  of  the 
city,  a  church  called  Bethany.  It  was  to  him 
somewhat  like  Bethany,  near  Jerusalem  was  of 
old  to  the  Master.  It  was  a  place  where  he  al- 
ways found  a  welcome,  and  where  there  was 
rest  from  the  wear  and  tear  of  the  city  church 
work.  He  often  speaks  of  his  friends  at  Bethany 
church,  in  Pike  county.  Mo. 

Call  to  Fort  Smith. 

About  the  first  of  June,  1892,  he  received  a 
telegram  stating  that  he  had  been  unanimously 
elected  to  the  pastorate  of  the  First  Baptist 
church  of  Fort  Smith,  Ark.  He  answered  by 
mail,  asking  a  few  questions,  which  the  clerk  of 
the  church  there,  Bro.  John  Ayers,  promptly  an- 
swered. He  wrote  again,  telling  Bro.  Ayers  that 
he  would  make  a  definite  answer  in  ten  days. 
After  careful  consideration  and  prayer,  without 


HIS  ALL-TIME  PASTORATES  57 

ever  seeing  Fort  Smith,  and  without  ever  hav- 
ing been  seen  by  any  member  of  the  church,  he 
accepted  the  call. —  (Baptist  News,  Nov.  16, 
1895.) 

On  the  Field. 

He  reached  Fort  Smith,  Ark.,  on  Friday  be- 
fore the  second  Sunday  in  August,  1892,  and 
found  a  cordial  and  hospitable  people.  The 
church  had  a  membership  of  about  300,  and  a 
plain  frame  building,  in  which  to  worship. 

It  was  a  sound  Baptist  church  and  under 
good  discipline.  The  pastor  he  followed  was 
Bro.  A.  J.  Kinkaid,  who  had  left  the  work  well 
cared  for.  However,  there  was  no  young  peo- 
ple's society,  and  the  church  had  adopted  the 
practice  of  local  communion.  That  is,  not  even 
visiting  Baptists  in  good  standing  were  invited 
to  commune. 

Dr.  Throgmorton  did  not  endeavor  to  disturb 
the  communion  situation,  because  there  were 
some  things  in  the  surroundings  which  made  it 
wise  to  have  the  local  communion  policy.  How- 
ever, he  organized  a  B.  Y.  P.  U.  at  once,  which 
runs  till  now. 

Not  many  things  occurred  outside  of  the  usu- 
al course  of  pastoral  work  and  life  while  he  was 
there.  He  was  in  Ft.  Smith  three  years  and  three 
months,  and  each  year  had  fair  success  in  the 
way  of  increase  in  members  and  growth  in  benef- 
icences. 


58  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

Evangelistic  Efforts. 

In  the  spring  of  1893  he  held  a  meeting  with- 
out evangelistic  help.  In  the  spring  of  1894  he 
had  Bro.  E.  S.  Graham  with  him  again.  In  the 
spring  of  1895  he  conducted  another  meeting 
himself,  and  in  the  fall  of  1895,  just  before  he 
left  the  field,  he  had  Evangelist  Hurlbutt  with 
him  for  two  weeks.  He  was  a  great  preacher,  but 
they  had  only  limited  success. 

Events  of  Interest. 

During  the  three  years  and  three  months  he 
welcomed  119  into  the  church,  a  great  many  of 
them  becoming  useful  members.  He  baptized 
one  Indian,  who  did  not  turn  out  very  well.  He 
also  baptized  the  famous  hangman,  George  Male- 
don,  who,  it  was  said,  had  broken  eighty  necks. 
He  was  reared  a  Catholic,  but  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren were  Baptists.  Judge  Parker,  famous  for 
sentencing  so  many  people  to  hang,  lived  just 
across  the  street  from  the  Baptist  church.  He 
was  a  fine  old  gentleman.  On  his  forty-third 
birthday  Dr.  Throgmorton  sat  in  the  court  room 
and  heard  him  sentence  five  men  to  be  hanged 
by  the  neck  till  they  were  dead.  However,  three 
of  the  condemned  men  escaped  the  gallows  at 
last. 

In  the  summer  of  1894  Brother  Throgmor- 
ton was  in  a  great  anti-saloon  fight.  It 
took  in  the  whole  county  and  was  waged 
without  gloves.  He  spoke  at  various 
points  in  the  county,  but  the  whiskey  forces  won. 
The  time  was  not  yet  ripe  for  prohibition.    Now 


HIS  ALL-TIME  PASTORATES  59 

the  whole  state  of  Arkansas  is  dry.     No  good 
work  is  ever  lost. 

On  the  last  night  of  his  stay  in  Fort  Smith 
he  baptized  four  converts,  and  then  at  1 :30  a.  m. 
left  for  DuQuoin,  111. 

At  DuQuoin. 

He  returned  to  DuQuoin  at  the  urgent  re- 
quest of  many  of  his  friends  and  former  sub- 
scribers, to  begin  another  paper.    The  first  issue 
was  put  out  as  a  Thanksgiving  number,  1895. 
Living  With  the  Teagues. 

For  more  than  five  years  after  coming  to 
DuQuoin  he  and  his  wife  made  their  home  in  the 
residence  of  Dr.  Marion  Teague,  not  as  board- 
ers, but  rather  as  partners  in  the  affair  of  house- 
keeping. They  made  a  happy  combination  home. 
Not  a  single  difference  arose  during  that  time. 
It  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  Dr.  Teague  and  his 
excellent  wife  have  lived  together  for  over  55 
years  without  the  remotest  semblance  of  a  family 
quarrel. 

From  November  3,  1895,  to  January  1,  1897, 
Dr.  Throgmorton  devoted  himself  to  the  new 
paper,  the  Baptist  News,  to  preaching,  to 
evangelism,  and  to  securing  new  subscrib- 
ers. Brother  Teague  was  partner  and  busi- 
ness manager  of  the  paper,  and  also  pas- 
tor of  the  First  Baptist  church.  January  1, 
1896,  he  preached  for  Bro.  Teague  through  a 
seven  weeks'  series  of  meetings,  which  resulted 
in  187  additions  to  the  church,  about  150  of  them 
by  baptism. 


60  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.   THROGMORTON 

Pastor  of  The  Church. 
January  1,  1897,  he  began  as  pastor  of  Du 
Quoin  the  first  time  and  continued  in  the  work 
two  years  and  seven  months.  During  this  period 
there  were  189  additions  to  the  church  by  bap- 
tism. In  the  meeting  in  the  winter  of 
1897-8,  he  had  no  outside  help  except  Brother  J. 
C.  Harriss  for  a  few  days.  Again  in  1898-9  he 
had  Brother  J.  S.  Edmonds  for  a  short  period, 
and  also  Brother  J.  W.  Beville  and  two  of  the 
Duncan  sisters  of  White  Hall.  In  1899,  he  re- 
called Brother  E.  S.  Graham  for  the  revival, 
which  continued  four  weeks  and  he  conducted 
two  more  weeks  himself.  A  goodly  number  made 
professions  and  united  with  the  church.  About 
August  1,  1900,  he  gave  up  the  work  because  of 
being  overburdened  with  tasks. 

During  a  good  part  of  this  two  years  and 
seven  months,  in  addition  to  serving  as  pastor 
and  editing  the  Baptist  News,  he  also  edited  the 
local  daily  paper  of  the  city  known  as  the  "Du 
Quoin  Evening  Call."  Most  of  the  time  Brother 
Teague  was  in  the  newspaper  work  with  him,  but 
perhaps  a  year  before  he  gave  up  the  pastorate 
Brother  Teague  retired.  He  spent  a  good  deal 
of  his  money  to  make  the  Baptist  News  a  suc- 
cess. 

His  Successor. 

His  immediate  successor  was  Brother  Walter 
H.  Harriss,  a  son  of  Brother  J.  C.  Harriss.  He 
held  the  pastorate  till  about  November  30,  1901, 


HIS  ALL-TIME  PASTORATES  61 

when  on  account  of  failing  health  he  gave  up  the 
work. 

Recalled. 

After  Brother  Harriss'  resignation  the 
church  then  recalled  Dr.  Throgniorton  and  he  re- 
sumed the  pastorate,  as  he  remembers,  December 
1,  1901.  The  latter  part  of  that  year  and  the  be- 
ginning of  the  next  was  spent  in  remodeling  and 
enlarging  the  house  of  worship. 
Neiv  House. 

In  March,  1902,  the  new  house  was  dedicated. 
He  has  frequently  said  that  considering  conveni- 
ences and  its  cost,  it  is  the  best  house  of  worship 
in  the  state.  He  then  held  a  revival  meeting  in 
which  Evangelist  R.  F.  Kilgore  assisted  and 
which  resulted  in  108  additions  to  the  church. 

In  the  first  quarter  of  1903  he  had  a  great 
Sunday  school  revival  contest,  On  the  first  Sun- 
day of  the  contest  the  attendance  was  213.  On 
the  last  Sunday  it  was  1,032.  To  be  sure  not  all 
the  recruits  were  held,  but  from  that  time  on  the 
Du  Quoin  Baptist  Sunday  school  has  been  larger 
and  better  than  before.  He  says  that  a  Sunday 
school  contest  properly  conducted  is  an  excellent 
movement.  It  will  bring  into  the  Sunday  school 
those  who  were  never  there  before,  and  thus  get 
them  closer  to  the  church  and  make  them  easier 
to  reach  with  the  gospel. 

Following  this  Sunday  school  contest  he  had 
Evangelist  L.  D.  Lamkin  as  helper  in  special  ser- 
vices, and  a  large  number  were  gathered  into  the 
church. 


62  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

Getting  Ready  To  Change. 

He  says  that  in  1904  he  began  to  feel  that  he 
should  possibly  get  ready  to  change  his  field  of 
labor.  He  asked  his  people  to  confirm  their  re- 
gard for  him  especially  by  an  increased  attend- 
ance at  prayer  meeting.  They  agreed  to  do  this, 
and  as  usual  he  held  an  evangelistic  effort.  The 
number  of  additions  was  not  so  great,  but  good 
was  done.  In  the  fall  of  this  year  he  received  a 
call  to  the  pastorate  at  Marion.  He  regarded  it 
as  providential  and  decided  to  accept. 

So  on  the  night  of  November  30,  1904,  he  clos- 
ed his  work  at  Du  Quoin,  after  he  had  lived  there 
nine  years  and  twenty-seven  days,  during  which 
time  he  had  served  about  six  and  a  half  years  as 
pastor,  and  during  all  the  time  had  been  closely 
identified  with  the  church  work.  There  were  re- 
ceived 909  into  the  fellowship  of  the  church  in 
nine  years,  and  progress  was  made  in  every  way. 

"It  would  be  hard  to  overpraise  the  Du  Quoin 
church  as  it  then  was.  A  fine  body  of  men  and 
women  made  up  its  membership.  And  during  the 
nine  years  there  was  never,  so  far  as  he  "knows, 
any  bitterness  or  strife.  There  never  was  a 
church  fuss.  The  deacons  and  the  preachers  were 
men  the  truest."  Now  the  church  is  under  the 
pastoral  care  of  Brother  C.  W.  Culp  and  is  still 
one  of  the  best  Baptist  churches  in  the  Southern 
section  of  the  state. 

Removal  to  Marion. 

He  removed  to  Marion,  December  1,  1904,  and 
began  his  pastorate  there.     He  continued  in  the 


i&     i\ 


a 


^ 


■«w»      o. 


HIS  ALL-TIME  PASTORATES  63 

work  just  a  year  and  a  half,  during  which  time 
the  church  was  bountifully  blessed.     More  than 
200  names  were  added  to  the  membership  list. 
Becomes  Editor  of  The  Illinois  Baptist. 

In  the  summer  of  1905,  a  movement  was  set 
in  motion  to  begin  another  Baptist  paper  in 
Southern  Illinois,  which  culminated  in  the  birth 
of  the  Illinois  Baptist,  the  first  issue  of  which  ap- 
peared on  Thanksgiving  day,  1905,  with  Dr. 
Throgmorton  again  as  editor.  He  soon  decided 
that  to  run  the  paper  and  serve  the  church  was 
too  much  work  for  one  man.  So  May  31,  1906,  he 
closed  his  pastorate  and  from  that  date  on  till 
August  1,  1913,  devoted  his  work  entirely  to  The 
Illinois  Baptist.  His  successor  in  the  pastorate 
was  Brother  H.  A.  Todd,  who  served  a  year  and 
a  half  and  closed  his  work.  The  Lord  greatly 
blessed  his  labors. 

Organization  of  The  Illinois  Bajitist  State  Asso- 
ciation. 

In  the  fall  and  winter  of  1906-7  came  the  con- 
troversy which  culminated  in  the  organization  of 
the  Illinois  Baptist  State  Association.  Since 
which  time  Dr.  Throgmorton  has  made  it  a  su- 
preme part  of  his  work  to  promote  the  prosperi- 
ty of  that  body.  From  the  beginning  he  has  been 
chairman  of  its  Board  of  Missions. 
Other  Pastors. 

Following  Brother  Todd,  Brother  E.  L.  Carr, 
now  of  Martin,  Tenn.,  became  pastor  of  Marion 
First.  He  held  the  place  during  1908,  and  till 
near  the  close  of  1909.     In  January-February, 


64  BIOGRAPHY   OF  W.   P.   THROGMORTON 

1909,  Dr.  Tkrogmorton  led  a  protracted  meeting 
for  Brother  Carr,  in  which  there  were  many  con- 
verts, and  which  was  his  last  work  of  this  kind 
until  February,  1917.  He  has  been  wonderfully 
successful  in  his  evangelistic  work. 

Following  Dr.  Carr  in  the  pastorate  came 
Brother  George  TV.  Allison.  He  began  January 
1,  1910,  and  continued  to  July  31,  1913,  when  he 
removed  to  East  St.  Louis,  where  he  had  accepted 
a  call  to  the  First  Church  of  that  city.  While 
in  Marion  he  was  very  popular  as  a  pastor  and 
preacher.  During  his  pastorate  was  inaugurated 
the  building  campaign  which  resulted  in  the  pres- 
ent attractive  house  of  worship.  Dr.  Throgmor- 
ton  was  associated  with  him  in  the  work  of  plan- 
ning and  pushing  the  enterprise  from  the  start 
and  had  the  honor  of  being  chairman  of  the  build- 
ing committee.  It  was  a  disappointment  to  a 
great  many  people  that  Brother  Allison  changed 
pastorates  before  the  work  was  finished.  How- 
ever, all  things  considered  he  thought  it  was 
wise  to  pursue  the  course  he  did  and  so  tendered 
his  resignation. 

Thereupon  the  church  at  once  called  Dr. 
Throgmorton  as  his  successor  by  a  unanimous 
vote.  He  said,  "Before  I  accept,  one  thing  must 
be  done.  You  men  who  have  means  must  get  back 
of  our  indebtedness  and  help  us  to  get  the  money 
to  push  our  building  enterprise  to  completion.  If 
you  will  do  this,  I  will  accept  and  the  Lord  will- 
ing, will  stay  with  you  till  the  house  is  finished 
and  everything  paid  out."     What  he  asked  was 


HIS  ALL-TIME  PASTORATES  65 

done  and  since  August  1,  1913,  he  has  been  pas- 
tor of  the  Marion  First  Church  and  at  the  same 
time  editor  of  The  Illinois  Baptist.  Rather  a 
heavy  undertaking  for  a  man  who  is  now  sixty- 
seven  years  of  age,  but  he  has  stood  the  strain 
fairly  well  so  far,  and  yet  holds  a  roseate  view  of 
life  and  its  work. 

Revivals  Again. 

During  his  three  years  and  a  half  pastorate 
he  has  been  copiously  showered  with  blessings. 
The  church  has  grown  in  numbers  and  in  liberal- 
ity, and  in  most  all  the  Christian  graces.  Each 
year  he  has  had  a  great  revival.  In  1914  Evan- 
gelist Lamkin  was  with  him  and  had  102  ad- 
ditions. In  1915  he  had  Evangelists  Lamb  and 
Wolslagel  and  there  were  122  additions.  In  1916 
he  had  Dr.  L.  R.  Scarborough  and  Evangelist  H. 
C.  Mitchell,  and  there  were  104  additions.  And 
then  again  before  the  close  of  1916  he  had  Evan- 
gelist Clarence  Hodge  for  a  fifteen  days  meeting 
and  there  were  24  additions  and  the  church  ex- 
perienced an  old  fashioned  spiritual  renewal. 
Besides  all  these,  there  were  many  additions  be- 
tween meetings. 

The  End  Not  Yet. 

The  church  and  pastor  are  going  right  on 
and  the  editor  and  the  Illinois  Baptist  are  doing 
likewise.  And  there  is  joy  in  the  camps  of  Israel 
for  his  lengthened  years  of  usefulness.  Browning 
says : 


66  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

"Grow  old  along  with  me 

The  best  of  life  is  yet  to  be, 

The  Last  for  which  the  First  was  made ; 

Youth  shows  but  half ; 

See  all  nor  be  afraid.'' 

Preferments,  Honors,  Distinctions. 

In  1884,  when  he  was  pastor  at  Benton  the 
Illinois  Baptist  General  Association  was  held 
with  it.  It  was  the  first  time  that  body  had  ever 
assembled  that  far  South. 

In  October,  1886,  while  still  pastor  at  Benton, 
he  was  elected  Moderator  of  the  General  Asso- 
ciation at  Springfield,  which  was  an  unsolicited 
and  unexpected  preferment. 

In  October,  1890,  his  church  at  Mt.  Vernon  en- 
tertained the  General  Association 

Every  year  after  he  began  to  attend  the  meet- 
ings of  the  General  Association,  which  was  in 
1882,  he  was  on  the  Board  of  Missions  of  the 
body,  while  in  the  state,  up  to  1907. 

He  preached  the  annual  sermon  before  the 
General  Association  at  Aurora,  in  1898. 

In  November,  1892,  his  church  entertained  the 
Arkansas  Baptist  State  Convention  at  Fort 
Smith. 

In  November,  1893,  he  was  honored  by  the 
Arkansas  Baptist  State  Convention  that  year  at 
Conway  by  being  elected  as  its  president. 

He  preached  the  commencement  sermon  for 
Conway  Female  College,  in  the  spring  of  1903. 

He  delivered  the  address  before  the  Ministers' 


HIS  ALL-TIME  PASTORATES  67 

Education  Society  at  Ouachita  College,  Arkadel- 
phia,  Ark.,  in  the  spring  of  1904. 

Preached  commencement  sermons  for  the  fol- 
lowing high  schools :  Du  Quoin,  Marion,  Herrin, 
Creal  Springs  and  Bowling  Green  Mo.  Gave  the 
commencement  sermon  at  Ewing  College  several 
times.    Also  one  before  Creal  Springs  College. 

He  delivered  the  commencement  sermon  at 
the  Southwestern  Baptist  Theological  Seminary 
at  Fort  Worth,  Texas,  in  May,  1916. 

He  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason,  an  Odd 
Fellow  and  a  most  kindly  Christian  gentleman. 

As  pastor,  preacher,  debater,  author,  editor 
and  denominationalist  he  has  multiplied  himself 
endlessly. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
EDITOR. 

Dr.  Throgmortou  was  scarcely  more  than  a 
beardless  boy  when  he  moved  to  Benton  July  28, 
1877,  and  took  charge  of  the  Baptist  Banner.  The 
paper  had  been  suspended,  after  having  been  is- 
sued for  one  year  and  eleven  months.  Its  sub- 
scribers were  few  and  it  had  no  standing  worth 
while.  It  was  a  dark  outlook  for  the  young  edi- 
tor, but  his  optimism  is  apparent  in  his  saluta- 
tory. He  writes  like  he  had  the  faith  to  do  big 
things,  and  says  he  is  assured  of  an  editorial  ex- 
istence for  three  years.  The  salutatory  smacks 
of  success  that  has  in  part  been  realized.  Read 
it  as  a  message  of  forty  years  ago : 

"Salutatory. 
"To  the  Baptists  of  Southern  Illinois : 

"After  a  long  suspension  the  Banner  again 
goes  forth  among  you.  In  assuming  its  editorial 
care  we  fully  realize  the  responsibility  that  rests 
upon  us,  and  the  difficulties  that  lie  out  before 
us.  We  have  weighed  them  well  and  were  we 
seeking  our  own  best  interests  financially  we 
should  not  have  assumed  the  task 

"But  we  are  seeking,  we  trust,  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  cause  of  Christ.  And  His  cause  we 
believe  to  be  the  cause  of  Baptists.  The  Banner 
is  certainly  necessary  for  the  good  of  the  Baptist 
cause  in  Southern  Illinois.  This  is  so  clear  that 
we  shall  not  stop  to  prove  it,  knowing  as  we  do 
that  most  brethren  admit  it. 

68 


EDITOR  69 

"We  are  also  confident  of  success.  True 
there  have  been  former  failures;  but  never  be- 
fore was  the  paper  started  on  such  a  basis  as  it 
now  has  to  uphold  it.  It  is  sustained  by  nearly 
one  hundred  brethren  and  friends — good  and 
true — in  such  a  way  as  to  make  a  failure  impos- 
sible for  three  years. 

"The  brethren  and  friends  named  have 
pledged  enough  in  behalf  of  the  paper,  to  enable 
it  to  meet  all  financial  difficulties  with  perfect 
success  for  three  years  to  come.  There  is  no 
doubt,  the  Lord  being  with  us,  that  we  shall  suc- 
ceed. 

"Now,  brethren,  what  we  want  is  that  you 
subscribe  for  and  read  the  paper.  We  propose 
to  give  you  sound  and  profitable  matter.  We  de- 
sire to  talk  to  you  from  time  to  time  about  those 
matters  which  are  of  supreme  interest  to  God's 
dear  children — the  doctrine  and  commandments 
of  Jesus. 

"We  also  want  you  to  talk  to  us  and  to  one 
another  through  the  Banner.  We  want  to  make 
it  an  organ  of  general  communication,  and  inter- 
change of  ideas,  and  a  power  in  developing  the 
latent  talent  that  exists  among  you. 

"Brethren,  shall  it  not  be  as  we  say?  We  be- 
lieve you  will  answer  affirmatively 

"As  to  the  policy  which  will  be  pursued  in 
the  management  of  the  paper,  our  great  aim  shall 
be  to  benefit  Baptists,  to  build  up  the  Baptist 
cause.    Accordingly  we  shall  labor  for  the  good 


7  0  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

of  our  denominational  interests  generally  and 
shall  urge  their  claims  upon  you. 

"But  especially  shall  we  contend  for  the  good 
old  doctrines  of  grace  and  for  the  ancient  'land- 
marks which  the  fathers  have  set.' 

"Brethren,  we  believe  you  want  all  this  done ! 
Then,  let  all  come  up  like  men  to  the  work.  Sub- 
scribe for  the  paper,  get  others  to  subscribe,  and 
pray  that  God  will  enable  us  to  do  a  glorious 
work." 

His  Zeal  In  Securing  Subscribers. 

He  went  out  among  the  folks,  called  on  them 
face  to  face,  presented  his  plea,  got  their  hearing, 
secured  many  new  names  for  his  paper,  became 
acquainted  with  the  real,  unterrified  Baptists  of 
the  territory  in  their  homes,  and  saw  what  he 
had  to  do  to  make  good.  He  wrote  out  of  a  first 
hand  experience  for  a  constituency  that  was  slow 
to  take  hold. 

He  built  up  his  cause  from  sheer  energetic  ef- 
fort, from  tenacious,  persistent  plodding,  from 
courageousness  that  despair  never  conquered.  It 
was  the  pluck  of  pertinacious  determination 
which  finally  yielded  him  results. 

He  got  on  "Old  Tom,"  his  stout  old  horse,  and 
rode  across  this  land  until  it  had  no  places  he  did 
not  know.  He  was  a  stranger  but  once,  for  who- 
ever saw  him  always  remembered  him.  His 
giant  figure  was  a  way  mark  that  never  went  out 
of  mind.  "There  comes  Throgmorton,"  grew  to 
be  a  familiar  sentence  at  all  religious  gather- 
ings of  the  Baptist  people. 


EDITOR  71 

His  Tours. 

The  first  tour  he  took  in  the  interests  of  the 
Banner  occupied  eight  weeks,  included  forty-five 
different  speaking  places  and  fifty-five  addresses. 
His  purpose  was  to  secure  three  thousand  sub- 
scribers for  The  Banner.  While  he  got  many 
new  subscribers,  he  never  reached  his  goal.  Thir- 
teen hundred  was  the  largest  number  of  copies 
of  the  Banner  ever  printed  at  one  issue. 

These  tours  continued  right  along  for  several 
years  and  the  people  he  met,  the  acquaintances 
he  formed,  the  subscribers  he  secured  have  been 
with  him  ever  since,  or  their  descendants  are  still 
his  supporters  and  helpers.  They  believe  in  him, 
love  him,  follow  him,  all  because  he  has  made 
himself  one  with  them,  been  their  friend,  their 
type  of  a  man. 

When  the  associational  season  rolled  round 
he  was  on  hands  with  "Old  Tom"  or  "Old  George'" 
— for  the  first  horse  was  traded  off — and  made 
himself  a  part  of  every  program.  He  added 
honor  to  the  occasion  and  made  the  people  glad 
they  were  there.  They  had  something  to  talk 
about,  something  to  take  home  and  tell  to  their 
children.  They  had  seen  and  heard  the  great 
young  editor,  whose  fame  was  being  fixed  among 
them,  as  the  North  Star  among  the  constellations 
of  the  heavens ;  he  was  their  greatest  man. 

And  he  stood  for  something.  He  always 
stood  for  something.  He  was  the  same  the  year 
round,  only  stronger  as  the  years  came  and 
went.     He  grew  in  circles  as  the  cycles  went 


72  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

round.  He  became  known  as  the  man  of  the 
hour  among  the  Baptists.  This  reputation  he 
has  upheld.  For  forty  years  his  light  has  not 
dimmed,  nor  his  strength  abated.  He  has  grown 
in  wisdom,  widened  in  vision,  deepened  in  cul- 
ture, until  his  life  means  more  to  his  people  than 
that  of  almost  all  other  men  combined.  It  is  the 
old  fashioned  faith  they  have  in  him  that  has 
stood  the  test  of  time  and  survived  the  shock  of 
change,  and  the  maneuvers  of  lesser  men.  He  is 
a  steady  clock  of  progress  for  his  people,  and  he 
represents  in  widening  growth  the  life  of  his 
land.  An  editor  that  has  thus  built  has  a  monu- 
ment too  deep  and  high  for  tarnishment  and  his 
name  and  influence  are  like  the  gentle  showers 
that  bless  the  earth.  The  towering  form  of  Dr. 
Throgmorton  among  the  editors  of  the  Baptist 
Conventions  and  associations  is  easily  distin- 
guished today,  and  the  long  look  backward  to 
where  he  began  forty  years  ago  makes  one  know 
that  there  is  no  place  like  an  American  opportu- 
nity for  success  and  leadership.  The  tours  of 
"Old  Tom  and  George"  with  their  master  on 
their  backs  have  been  superseded  by  tours  to  the 
Southern  Baptist  Convention  in  special  cars  pro- 
vided for  the  occasion.  This,  in  brief,  is  the  rec- 
ord of  reward  for  his  long  years  of  editorship. 
Items  From  The  Banner. 
At  Herrin's  Prairie  he  stopped  with  Brother 
D.  R.  Harrison.  In  June,  1878,  he  first  met  Bro- 
ther J.  Carroll  Harriss  at  Ewing,  and  stated 
that  he  had  desired  to  make  his  acquaintance 


EDITOR  73 

for  a  long  time.    He  met  many  strange  brethren 
at  the  Ewing  commencement  that  year. 

On  another  tour  of  the  churches  he  visited 
Hew  Burnside  and  found  Brother  D.  R.  Pryor 
and  Brother  John  Rodman  assisting  the  pastor, 
Brother  Calvin  Caldwell,  in  a  good  revival  meet- 
ing. 

"The  B.  &  E.  Railroad  is  now  completed  to 
within  four  miles  of  town,  and  nothing  prevent- 
ing, the  neigh  of  the  iron  horse  will  soon  be  heard 
within  our  corporate  limits." 

"We  will  take  a  few  loads  of  wood  on  sub- 
scriptions to  The  Banner.  Also  a  few  dozen 
chickens." 

Elder  Hosea  Vise  is  mentioned  as  moderator 
of  Franklin  Association.  He  served  in  that  ca- 
pacity for  thirty-seven  years. 

The  name  of  Dr.  John  Blanchard  is  seen  often 
in  The  Banner.  Later  in  the  News  a  whole  page 
was  devoted  to  a  description  of  his  wonderful 
life. 

The  Baptist  Convention  of  Southern  Illinois 
did  a  good  work  for  some  time,  but  its  day  of 
usefulness  ended,  because  it  seemed  the  people 
were  not  then  well  enough  up  with  general  de- 
nominational interest  to  foster  it  successfully. 

"Banner  and  Gleaner"  were  consolidated  and 
appeared  from  Cairo,  Illinois,  September  14, 
1881.  Hall  and  Throgmorton,  editors  and  pro* 
prietors.  But  March  15,  1882,  he  was  back  to 
Benton.     He  thinks  he  lost  a  thousand  dollars 


74  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

by  that  move.    High  water  and  other  inconveni- 
ences made  it  pleasant  to  return  to  Benton. 

Dr.  Throgmorton  wrote  the  "History  of 
Franklin  Association  of  United  Baptists/'  dur- 
ing 1879  and  1880,  and  it  was  published  in  The 
Banner  and  then  in  book  form  October,  1880.  It 
is  a  well  written  book  and  has  many  interesting 
historical  notes  and  sketches. 

The  first  Baptist  church  of  Benton  entertain- 
ed the  Baptist  General  Association  of  Illinois, 
October  13-17,  1884,  and  was  complimented  for 
the  hospitality  and  courtesies  extended  to  the 
visitors  and  messengers  present. 

The  editor  printed  a  great  many  of  his  ser- 
mons during  the  life  of  The  Banner,  and  they 
read  well. 

Banner  Moved  to  Mt.  Vernon. 

The  last  issue  of  The  Banner  appeared  at 
Benton,  November  24,  1886,  and  December  15,  of 
the  same  year  it  made  its  appearance  at  Mt.  Ver- 
non, 111.,  where  it  was  finally  discontinued  in 
January,  1887.  This  represents  the  first  period 
in  the  life  of  Dr.  Throgmorton  as  editor. 

The  Baptist  News. 
There  was  evident  interest  in  the  publication 
of  The  Baptist  News,  or  such  a  business  man  as 
Dr.  M.  Teague  of  Du  Quoin  could  not  have  been 
led  to  back  it.  He  bought  the  printing  plant  out- 
right from  the  factory  that  did  the  work  for  The 
Baptist  News.  He  gave  his  time  and  attention 
to  getting  it  started  and  managed  it  successfully, 
and  later  sold  out  to  Dr.  Throgmorton  and  A.  W. 


EDITOR  75 

Essick.  Brother  Teague  was  pastor  of  Dn  Quoin 
Baptist  church  for  about  twenty  years  and  is  one 
of  the  best  men  in  the  bounds  of  the  new  State 
Association.  He  and  his  good  wife  have  no  chil- 
dren and  for  long  years  they  have  been  deep- 
ly interested  in  the  work  among  the  Baptists  of 
Southern  Illinois,  and  this  may  account  for  his 
having  a  large  share  in  recalling  Dr.  Throgmor- 
ton  from  Fort  Smith,  Ark.,  and  helping  him  get 
the  new  paper  on  its  feet.  At  least,  such  men 
should  be  honored  in  our  midst,  and  be  encourag- 
ed to  endow  such  worthy  enterprises  with  their 
means. 

Busy  Editor. 

The  Daily  Du  Quoin  Call  was  established  in 
the  first  year  of  Dr.  Throgmorton's  stay  in  Du 
Quoin,  and  for  a  time  he  was  editor  of  this  Daily 
Call,  pastor  of  the  church  and  editor  of  The  Bap- 
tist News. 

Names  in  The  News. 

There  were  several  features  to  the  News, 
which  the  Banner  did  not  have,  prayer  meeting 
topics,  pioneer's  corner  and  a  historical  page, 
and  there  were  names  not  seen  in  the  former  pa- 
per. "Porter  Points"  appeared  regularly  for  sev- 
eral years,  as  did  "Lines  From  Leavitt."  "Hook- 
er's Hits"  came  in  at  odd  times.  "Pryor's  Para- 
graphs" were  a  prized  feature,  as  were  his  ser- 
mons. Dr.  John  Washburn  contributed  several 
noteworthy  articles,  a  series  on  the  "Beginning 
of  Ewing  College"  being  specially  noteworthy. 
There  were  thirteen  articles  by  "Observer"  under 


76  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

the  caption,  "Words  of  An  Old  Timer,"  which  de- 
serve special  mention.  These  were  written  by 
Brother  W.  S.  Blackmail,  and  were  the  founda- 
tion for  his  book  which  he  afterwards  published, 
entitled,  "The  Boy  of  Battleford."  Dr.  E.  W. 
Hicks  contributed  fifty-five  illustrated  articles 
on  "Illinois  Baptist  History,"  which  are  worthy 
of  much  praise.  They  should  have  been  put  into 
book  form  before  now,  for  their  value  is  easily 
seen.  "Pioneer  Corner"  was  edited  by  the  Pio- 
neer Preacher,  W.  F.  Boyakin,  of  Blue  Rapids, 
Kansas,  and  was  a  feature  enjoyed  by  all.  His 
stories  should  be  gathered  up  and  preserved.  Al- 
so in  the  Old  Banner  there  was  a  series  of  "Re- 
miniscenses"  of  early  pioneer  days  by  Father 
Hosea  Vise  of  Macedonia,  111.,  which  should  be 
kept.  Editorials  by  Dr.  Throgmorton  reveal  his 
stores  of  logic,  his  cool  control,  his  love  of  de- 
bate, his  Baptist  loyalty,  and  his  desire  to  keep 
the  faith  "once  for  all  delivered  to  the  saints." 
Occasional  articles  appeared  from  various  breth- 
ren, as  Dr.  Austen  K.  deBlois,  Dr.  J.  Bulkley  and 
S.  C.  Fulmer.  Brethren  J.  J.  Midkiff,  J.  C.  Har- 
riss,  Cal.  Allen,  W.  J.  Moore,  Danbury,  Rodman, 
Wallace,  Garner,  Snioot,  Carr,  Lee,  Ridge,  Bar- 
ber, J.  K.  Trovillion  and  many  others,  wrote  for 
the  news  notes  and  now  and  then  had  articles 
and  sermons  in  the  paper. 

Sold  to  Central  Baptist. 
The  Baptist  News  was  sold  to  or  consolidated 
with  the  Central  Baptist  of  St  Louis,  Mo.,  June 
14,  1902,  after  seven  years  of  strenuous  effort  to 


EDITOR  77 

keep  it  going.  The  sale  was  made  for  the  reason 
that  the  editor  believed  he  could  not  longer  stand 
up  under  the  strain  of  doing  two  men's  work, 
w  hich  he  had  been  doing  for  almost  all  the  time. 
The  News  did  not  pay  enough  to  support  him  in- 
dependent of  a  pastorate.  He  explains  this  in  his 
"Editorial  Retrospect"  (Sept.  19,  1916)  which 
has  been  placed  at  the  close  of  this  chapter,  to 
which  the  reader  is  referred.  He  edited  the  Illi- 
nois Department  in  the  Central  Baptist  for  a 
time  and  then  was  silent  with  his  pen  until  The 
Illinois  Baptist  was  founded. 

The  Illinois  Baptist. 

The  Illinois  Baptist  began  at  Marion,  Illinois, 
Thanksgiving  number,  1905,  just  ten  years  after 
the  Baptist  News  had  been  issued  at  Du  Quoin, 
Illinois.  It  had  the  support  of  a  founding  fund 
for  five  years  which  guaranteed  the  editor's  sal- 
ary. 

People  rallied  to  it  and  its  total  issue 
ran  up  to  5,200.  The  most  the  Baptist  News  ever 
had  was  3,200.  And  the  Baptist  Banner  reached 
but  1,300.  So  the  people  have  become  more  in- 
terested in  their  denominational  paper. 

The  editor  introduced  his  famous  Resolution 
for  Amendment  to  the  Constitution  of  the  Old 
Illinois  Baptist  Convention  at  Carbondale,  Illi- 
nois, in  October,  1906,  and  the  following  Janu- 
ary the  organization  of  the  New  State  Associa- 
tion occurred  at  Pinckneyville,  Illinois.  The 
paper  was  the  medium  through  which  this  was  ef- 
fected.    Its  influence  was  potent  and  powerful. 


78  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

As  long  as  its  editor  lives  the  people  will  follow 
him,  for  he  is  now  safely  fixed  upon  strong  and 
enduring  foundations,  established  after  forty 
years  work  in  the  ministry. 

The  Proposed  New  General  Association. 
It  was  proposed  to  enlist  the  unenlisted 
churches  of  the  Southern  Baptist  Convention, 
amounting  to  10,000  churches  more  or  less,  in 
this  New  General  Convention,  and  an  agreement 
was  reached  at  Little  Rock  to  that  end.  The  Il- 
linois Baptists  agreed  to  co-operate  with  such  a 
movement  if  500  churches  could  be  secured  to 
go  into  it  in  four  months.  The  meeting  was  held 
in  March  and  by  July  only  392  churches  had 
agreed  to  go  into  it,  135  of  those  being  in  Illinois. 
The  attempt  was  abondoned  by  The  Illinois  Bap- 
tists, as  a  waste  of  time.  Dr.  Gambrell  says: 
"After  the  division,  it  was  on  my  suggestion  that 
these  stalwart  Illinois  Baptists  turned  to  the 
Southern  Baptist  Convention." 

Admitted  Into  Southern  Baptist  Convention. 
At  Baltimore  in  May,  1910,  the  Illinois  Bap- 
tist State  Association's  messengers  were  admit- 
ted to  fellowship  in  the  Southern  Baptist  Con- 
vention without  a  hitch  or  a  jar,  and  the  entire 
work  is  lined  up  with  that  body  in  spirit — 
though  some  of  the  missionaries  of  the  Baptist 
Missionary  Convention  are  still  supported  by  the 
State  Association  as  that  body  feels  it  is  honor 
bound  to  do.  Brother  J.  O.  Raines,  associate 
editor  of  The  Illinois  Baptist,     Corresponding 


EDITOR  79 

Secretary  of  this  Convention,  is  a  most  worthy 
and  faithful  brother. 

The  Illinois  Baptist  is  the  channel  for  all  the 
organized  work  for  the  Southern  Baptist  Con- 
vention in  Illinois. 

Its  editor  is  Southern  born.  He  is  tempera- 
mentally a  Southern  Baptist,  and  has  always 
been,  though  he  worked  with  the  Northern  breth 
ren  until  the  defection  from  the  old  line,  became 
so  pronounced  that  he  could  not  longer  tolerate 
it. 

Some  have  tried  to  make  it  appear  that  party 
political  feeling  instigated  the  organization  of 
the  State  Association.  This  is  not  true.  The 
supporters  of  the  State  Association  come  from 
all  parties.  Dr.  Throgmorton  has  been  heard 
frequently  to  say :  "I  am  Northern  in  my  politics, 
but  Southern  in  my  religion." 

Now,  the  Illinois  Baptist  is  in  its  best  years. 
It  is  a  child  of  the  State  Association,  made  so  in 
1910,  and  is  on  a  safe  basis. 

It  is  issued  by  the  Egyptian  Press  Printing 
Company  of  Marion,  111.,  a  member  of  that  firm 
being  a  staunch  Baptist,  while  the  other  member 
is  a  Christian  gentleman.  The  firm  is  composed 
of  Casey  &  Felts,  Hon.  Jas.  H.  Felts  being  the 
Baptist  member.  The  work  is  done  as  reason- 
ably as  could  be  obtained.  The  paper  is  due  many 
years  of  useful  service. 


80  BIOGRAPHY   OF  W.   P.   THROGMORTON 

Publishing  Board  Members. 

Terms  Expires  1917. — G.  W.  Danbury,  Du 
Quoin;  J.  A.  Musgrave,  West  Frankfort;  Loren 
Felts,  Harrisburg. 

Term  Expires  1918.— W.  S.  Wilson,  Pinck- 
neyville ;  M.  Ozment,  Johnston  City ;  D.  C.  Jones, 
West  Frankfort. 

Term  Expires  1919. — J.  K.  Trovillion,  Brown- 
field  ;  T.  J.  Wheeler,  AVest  Union ;  S.  A.  Stearns, 
Marion. 

Officers. 

Chairman,  J.  K.  Trovillion,  Brownfield. 

Clerk,  G.  W.  Danbury,  Du  Quoin. 

Editorial  Secretary,  W.  P.  Throgmorton, 
Marion. 

Executive  Committee. 
J.  K.  Trovillion      G.  W.  Danbury      M.  Ozment. 

Editorial  Retrospect. 
(September  19,  1916.) 

"Thinking  of  our  birthday  and  of  our  life 
work,  made  us  think  of  our  connection  with  Bap- 
tist newspaper  work  in  Illinois;  and  it  seems 
that  we  are  not  a  mere  amateur. 

We  began  our  editorial  career  August,  1877. 
at  Benton,  when  we  took  charge  of  the  Baptist 
Banner.  We  continued  in  that  work  five  years 
and  three  months,  when  the  Banner  was  suspend- 
ed. 

The  suspension  lasted  one  year.     In  Novem 
ber,  1883,  the  Banner  was  revived  beginning  its 
second  record  at  Benton.    In  the  fall  of  1886  it 
was  moved  to  Mt.  Vernon  and  continued  to  come 


EDITOR  81 

out  regularly  there  till  about  February  1,  1888, 
wheu  the  enterprise  was  given  up.  Thus  four 
years  and  three  months  were  added  to  the  length 
of  our  editorial  life. 

In  November,  1905,  the  Baptist  News  was 
born  and  we  were  called  to  Du  Quoin  to  take 
editorial  work  again.  The  News  lived  till  in 
June,  1902,  when  its  list  was  given  over  to  the 
Central  Baptist  of  St.  Louis.  So  passed  and  end- 
ed six  years  and  seven  months  more  of  Baptist 
newspaper  work. 

For  three  years  following  we  were  off  the  tri- 
pod. But  in  November,  1905,  the  Illinois  Bap- 
tist saw  the  light  and  it  has  continued  until 
now.  The  probability  is  that  it  is  a  fixed  and 
settled  enterprise  among  Illinois  Baptists.  On 
next  Thanksgiving  day  it  will  be  eleven  years 
old. 

So  we  have  had  editorial  charge  of  The  Illi- 
nois Baptist,  we  may  say,  ten  years  and  nine 
months.  The  total  of  our  editorial  life  to  date  is 
twenty-six  years  and  ten  months  plus. 

We  like  the  work.  We  also  like  the  pastor- 
ate. A  great  deal  of  the  time  we  have  been  both 
pastor  and  editor.  Either  is  enough  for  any  one 
man,  but  circumstances  have  made  it  necessary 
for  us  to  carry  both.  Some  day,  if  the  Lord 
spares  us,  it  will  be  so,  that  we  can  step  out  of 
the  pastorate  and  do  only  the  work  needed  for 
and  through  the  paper.  At  least  we  think  that 
day  will  come." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ORGANIZATION  OF  NEW     STATE     ASSO- 
CIATION. 

Historical  Preface. 

The  Illinois  Baptist  State  Association  was 
organized  in  the  house  of  worship  of  the  First 
Baptist  church  of  Pinckneyville,  Illinois,  on 
Thursday,  January  31,  1907. 

It  is  proper  in  connection  with  the  minutes 
of  the  preliminary  meetings  and  first  annual 
meeting  to  give  some  account  of  the  causes  and 
of  the  steps  taken  which  led  to  the  complete  or- 
ganization of  this  body. 

The  first  thing  which  made  a  movement  to- 
ward the  new  organization  necessary  was  a  con- 
dition as  to  doctrine  and  practice  related  more  or 
less  closely  to  The  Illinois  Baptist  General  As- 
sociation, or  as  it  is  now  called,  "The  Illinois 
Baptist  State  Convention." 

There  were  ministers  in  good  standing  in 
churches  connected  with  the  state  body  who,  it 
was  reported,  denied  the  Deity  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  some  who  denied  the  full  inspiration  and 
authority  of  the  Holy  Bible  as  the  revealed  will 
of  God,  and  some  who  were  loose  on  the  terms  of 
communion  at  the  table  of  the  Lord. 

Prof.  Geo.  B.  Foster,  for  example,  was  a  min- 
ister in  regular  standing  in  a  church  connected 
with  the  Chicago  Baptist  Association.  He  was 
also  in  good  standing  in  the  Baptist  Ministers' 
Conference  of  Chicago. 

82 


ORGANIZATION  OF  STATE  ASSOCIATION        83 

This  Prof.  Foster  wrote  and  published  a 
book,  entitled,  "The  Finality  of  the  Christian  Ke- 
ligion,"  in  which  he  repudiated  the  full  inspir- 
ation and  authority  of  the  Bible  and  denied  the 
Deity  of  Christ. 

The  question  of  censuring  this  book  was 
brought  before  the  Chicago  Baptist  Ministers' 
Conference  and  discussed.  There  seemed  to  be 
no  controversy  as  to  what  the  book  said.  When 
the  vote  was  taken  twenty-two  Baptist  ministers 
out  of  seventy  voting,  went  on  record  as  refus- 
ing to  censure  the  book.  Dr.  B.  H.  Carroll  said 
of  this  book :  "It  is  downright  treason  to  Jesus 
Christ  to  receive  this  book  as  a  Christian  produc- 
tion, to  give  it  Christian  greeting." 

Another  minister — an  Illinois  man — said  of 
it  that  the  book  seemed  to  him  to  teach  that  Prof. 
Foster  "would  have  us  believe  that  there  is  no 
personal  or  external  God;  that  there  is  only  a 
human  Christ;  that  there  was  no  atonement  for 
sin;  that  there  was  no  miracle  and  so  no  Christ 
risen  from  the  dead;  that  there  was  no  credible 
revealed  will  of  God." 

One  of  the  twenty-two  ministers  of  Chicago 
who  would  not  vote  to  censure  Dr.  Foster's  book 
was  a  member  of  the  board  of  missions  of  the  old 
state  convention. 

Many  felt  that  it  was  highly  necessary  that 
the  line  be  drawn  in  conventional  fellowship 
against  Unitarianism  and  open  communion  as 
thus  showing  themselves  among  us. 


84  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

As  to  loose  views  on  communion  they  were 
becoming  entirely  too  common  among  us.  John 
Y.  Aitchison,  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  church 
of  Galesburg,  had  published  a  booklet,  entitled, 
"What  Saith  the  Scriptures?"  in  which  he  took 
open  communion  ground.  In  this  booklet  he 
said  thus :  "There  is  no  authority  for  either  pas- 
tor or  layman  to  regulate  the  attendance  at  the 
Lord's  supper,  that  matter  being  left  entirely  to 
the  conscience  of  the  individual  believer." 

Writing  an  "Explanation"  of  the  remark  just 
quoted,  Mr.  Aitchison  said  this:  "Yes;  this 
church  (the  Galesburg  First)  and  all  other 
churches  in  this  district,  and  so  far  as  I  know 
most  of  the  large  Baptist  churches  in  Iowa,  Illi- 
nois and  Wisconsin  where  I  have  been  pastor,  (I 
do  not  mean  the  churches  I  have  served  simply, 
but  the  churches  with  which  I  am  familiar,)  are 
practically  open  communion  churches.  I  do  not 
know  of  a  close  communion  Baptist  church  in 
practice  today.  I  know  of  some  which  still  hold 
the  theory  but  not  the  practice We  as  Bap- 
tists acknowledge  that  others  are  Christians  who 
are  not  Baptists,  and  give  them  fellowship  in 
every  walk  of  life,  except  the  Lord's  supper.  Now 
I  maintain  that  we  are  unscriptural,  unlogical 
and  uncharitable  in  so  doing." 

And  this  brother,  J.  Y.  Aitchison,  is  a  mem- 
ber now  of  the  state  mission  board  of  the  "Illi- 
nois Baptist  State  Convention."  (Later  on  one 
of  the  secretaries  of  the  Northern  Baptist     So- 


ORGANIZATION  OF  STATE  ASSOCIATION        85 

cieties  for  the  Middle  West  district,  located    at 
Chicago. ) 

Dr.  A.  B.  Greene,  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist 
church  of  Evanston,  had  declared  (in  effect) 
that  there  is  no  more  Scripture  for  what  is  com- 
monly called  restricted  communion  than  there  is 
for  infant  baptism! 

Dr.  Johnston  Myers,  pastor  of  the  Immanual 
Baptist  church,  had  said:  "I  believe  that  close 
communion  is  passing  away."  And  these  men, 
thus  expressing  open  communion  views,  were  all 
prominent  in  State  Convention  work. 

Only  by  disregarding  the  facts  can  any  man 
contend  that  there  were  not  Unitarians  and  open 
communionists  prominently  related  to  the  old 
State  Convention. 

It  was  felt  by  some  Baptists  who  had  worked 
with  the  Old  Convention,  that  it  should  wash  its 
Lands  of  these  Unitarian  and  open  communion 
t-eresies  by  drawing  the  line  against  them. 

So  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Illinois  Bap- 
tist General  Association,  as  it  was  then  called, 
W.  P.  Throgmorton,  editor  of  The  Illinois  Bap- 
tist, proposed  an  amendment  to  the  constitution 
of  the  body,  so  worded  as  to  draw  the  line  against 
the  undersirable  things.  The  proposed  amend- 
ment was  worded  as  follows: 

"By  a  Baptist  church  in  this  constitution  is 
meant  such  a  Baptist  church  as  avowedly  holds 
and  distinctly  teaches,  among  other  Bible  ten- 
ets, the  following:  The  full  inspiration  and 
authority  of  the  Bible  as  the  written  Word    of 


86  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

Gel;  the  absolute  necessity  of  spiritual  regenera- 
tion ;  salvation  by  grace  through  faith  in  Christ's 
atoning  blood;  Scriptural  baptism  and  member- 
ship in  a  Baptist  church  as  orderly  and  essen- 
tial prerequisites  to  communion  at  the  Lord's 
supper  as  observed  among  our  people." 

But  by  a  vote  of  about  three  to  one  the  propos- 
ed amendment  was  voted  down.  Thus  the  old 
couvention  refused  to  draw  the  line.  If  Unitari- 
an! sm  and  open  communionism  were  in  they 
might  stay  in.  In  other  words  the  old  conven- 
tion refused  to  make  either  Unitarianism  or 
open  communion  a  bar  to  conventional  fellow- 
ship, j 

Of  course,  this  did  not  mean  that  all  the 
churches  or  ministers  of  the  old  convention  were 
Unitarians  or  open  communionists.  Indeed,  the 
convention,  after  voting  down  the  proposed 
& j  lendment,  affirmed  its  belief  in  the  Deity  of 
Christ  and  in  baptism  and  church  membership 
as  conditions  to  communion  in  a  resolution 
adopted  by  an  almost  unanimous  vote. 

What  the  brethren  of  the  old  convention  did 
commit  themselves  to,  was  the  principle  that  on 
these  questions  liberty  must  be  allowed  and  that 
neither  Unitarian  nor  open  communion  Bap- 
tist churches  are  to  be  barred  from  conventional 
fellowship. 

After  the  Carbondale  meeting  was  over  some 
brethren  felt  that  they  could  not  be  loyal  to  their 
convictions  of  truth  and  continue  longer  in  such 
a  combination  as  the  old  convention  had  declar- 


ORGANIZATION  OF  STATE  ASSOCIATION        87 

eel  itself  to  be.  They  did  not  feel  that  they 
could  conscientiously  remain  where  they  were 
likely  to  be  yoked  up  with  men  who  deny  the 
old  faith  and  seek  to  do  away  with  the  old  prac- 
tice of  Baptists. 

Accordingly,  Brother  W.  P.  Throgniorton  of 
Marion,  sent  out  a  great  many  notes  of  inquiry  to 
brethren  in  and  out  of  the  ministry,  asking  them 
to  vote,  for  or  against,  on  the  question.  It  was 
not  practical  to  take  a  vote  from  all  the  brethren, 
and  cards  were  sent  to  only  a  number  in  each  of 
the  associations  canvassed. 

A  few  sent  in  their  votes  declaring  themselves 
in  favor  of  remaining  with  the  old  convention, 
though  most  of  these  declared  themselves  willing 
to  stand  by  the  majority  vote  thus  taken.  The 
great  body  voted  for  a  new  organization. 

During  November,  following  the  taking  of 
the  vote,  a  call  for  a  meeting  was  sent  out  for 
signatures.  This  call  read  as  follows : 
"A  Call  for  a  Baptist  Meeting 
I  hereby  join  with  others  in  calling  a  meeting 
to  be  held  in  the  house  of  worship  of  the  First 
Baptist  church  of  Pinckneyville,  Illinois,  on  De- 
cember 6th,  1906,  beginning  at  10 :30  A.  M. 

The  purpose  of  this  meeting  is  the  formation 
of  a  Baptist  State  organization  to  be  based  on 
strict  Baptist  principles. 

I  accept  this  card  as  my  call  to  be  present  at 
the  meeting,  and  I  hereby  agree  to  stand  by  and 
support  the  new  organization  when  thus  found- 


88  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

td,  whether  I  am  iu  attendance  at  the  meeting  or 
not.    I  expect  to  attend." 

Accordingly,  the  meeting  was  held  at  Pinck- 
neyville,  December  G,  190G,  as  called,  and  the 
question  of  organization  was  considered. 

A  general  form  of  organization  was  agreed 
upon  and  a  proposed  constitution  was  approved. 
It  was  agreed  to  submit  the  question  of  organiza- 
tion and  the  proposed  constitution  to  the  church- 
es for  their  approval  or  disapproval,  and  that 
if  as  many  as  two  hundred  churches  should  ap- 
prove a  meeting  should  be  called  to  be  held  at 
Pinckneyville,  Illinois,  January  31,  1907,  and 
the  organization  then  and  there     completed. 

An  address  to  the  churches  was  read,  approv- 
ed, and  ordered  published.    It  was  as  follows : 

Address. 
L'easons  For  The  Organization  of  a  New  Bap- 
tist State  Convention. 

1.  Some  brethren  and  churches  cannot  any 
longer  work  with  the  old  convention.  Their  im- 
mediate reason  for  this  is  that  the  old  convention, 
or  general  association,  refuses  to  draw  the  line 
against  Unitarian  and  open  communion  Bap- 
tists. Whether  all  men  count  this  reason  good  or 
uot,  it  is  felt  to  be  amply  sufficient  by  those  who 
urge  it. 

2.  These  Baptists  who  are  thus  shut  out  by 
their  convictions  from  co-operation  with  the  old 
convention,  ought  not  to  be  idle.  There  is  plenty 
of  work  for  them  to  do,  and  the  obligation  is  on 
them  to  aid  in  evangelizing  this     great     state. 


ORGANIZATION  OF  STATE  ASSOCIATION        89 

They  feel  this  obligation  so  fully  that  they  can 
not  rest  without  making  an  effort  to  meet  it. 

3.  The  purpose  of  Baptist  State  Mission 
Work  is  to  plant  and  foster  true  Baptist  church- 
es. The  old  convention  has  refused  to  define 
what  it  means  by  a  Baptist  church  and,  there- 
fore, what  it  is  willing  to  fellowship  as  a  Baptist 
church.  We  do  not  wish  to  assist  in  the  planting 
and  supporting  of  any  Baptist  churches,  except 
such  as  are  to  stand  for  the  old  Baptist  faith  and 
practice.  Therefore,  we  need  this  new  organiza- 
tion. 

4.  There  are  hundreds  upon  hundreds  of 
churches  in  this  state  and  especially  in  the  cen- 
tral and  southern  parts  of  this  state,  that  do  not 
and  never  have  co-operated  to  any  very  appre- 
ciable extent  with  the  old  convention.  The  old 
convention  has  not  been  able  to  reach  them,  or  if 
it  has  reached  them  it  has  not  been  able  to  enlist 
them.  We  believe  these  churches,  at  least  a  great 
many  of  them,  will  be  in  such  sympathy  with  the 
new  organization  that  they  will  give  it  their  sym- 
pathy and  support  and  do  mission  work  as  never 
before. 

5.  Baptists  have  a  perfect  right  at  any  time 
to  form  an  organization  for  missionary  purposes. 
This  is  in  entire  harmony  with  Baptist  polity.  It 
is  not  always  wise  to  form  a  new  organization  but 
we  believe  that,  in  this  case,  it  is  wise.  Because 
we  believe  it  is  wise  and  needed,  therefore,  we 
are  for  it,  and  ask  all  who  are  in  sympathy  with 
us,  to  unite  in  the  enterprise. 


9  0  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

6.  It  is  our  desire  to  ally  with  the  new  or- 
ganization, brethren  and  churches  who  are 
agreed  with  its  spirit  and  purpose.  We  do  not 
ask  those  who  do  not  see  with  us  in  this  thing  to 
join  in  with  us  till  they  do  see  as  we  do.  We  do 
not  wish  to  precipitate  a  discussion  of  the  pro- 
priety of  uniting  with  this  movement  in  a  church 
in  such  a  way  as  to  cause  disruption  or  even  strife 
in  the  local  body.  But  we  do  ask  brethren  and 
sisters,  no  matter  where  they  belong,  who  are 
agreed  with  us  as  to  the  necessity  of  this  work, 
that  they  join  with  us  in  supporting  the  move- 
ment. We  also  appeal  to  every  church  which  is 
agreed  with  us  to  come  at  once  into  co-operation. 

7.  Finally,  we  believe  God  is  in  this  move- 
ment; He  desires  that  the  Baptists  of  Illinois 
stand  for  the  integrity  of  His  word,  for  the  glory 
of  His  churches,  for  the  propagation  of  the  pure 
gospel.  So  we  say  to  all  Baptists  everywhere  in 
our  great  state,  "Come  with  us:  we  will  do  you 
good;  you  will  do  us  good;  for  the  Lord  has 
spoken  good  concerning  Israel." 

Following  the  December  meeting  the  cam- 
paign began.  The  question  of  the  new  organiza- 
tion was  brought  before  the  churches  with  the 
result  that  when  January  31,  1907,  came  it  was 
found  that  more  than  the  required  number  had 
taken  favorable  action.  The  following  is  the  list 
by  associations : 

Alton  Association — East  St.  Louis  First, 
East  St.  Louis  Second,  East  St.  Louis  Alta  Sita, 
Liberty  of  Walshville.    Total,  4. 


ORGANIZATION  OF  STATE  ASSOCIATION        91 

Apple  Creek — Blue  Mound,  Honey  Creek, 
Unity.    Total,  3. 

Bloomfield— Villa  Grove.    Total,  1. 

Big  Saline — Columbus,  Golconda,  Goodhope, 
Big  Saline.    Total,  4. 

Bay  Creek— Nebo.     Total,  1. 

Centralia — Bethel,  Fairman,  Kinmundy, 
Sandoval,  Zion  Hill,  Bethany,  Shobonier,  Mar- 
shall's Creek,  Central  City,  Patoka,  Salem  First, 
Iuka,  Diamond  Spring.     Total,  13. 

Clear  Creek — Hopewell,  Dongola,  Makanda, 
Bethel,  Shiloh,  Anna,  Mission  Chapel,  Cobden, 
New  Hope,  Big  Creek,  Lake  Milligan,  Beech 
Grove,  Alto  Pass,  Mt.  Olive,  Ava,  Limestone, 
Delta,  Mill  Creek,  Pleasant  Grove,  Pleasant  Val- 
ley, Antioch.     Total,  21. 

Central  Illinois — Franklin.     Total,  1. 

Franklin— Herrin  First,  Mt.  Zion,  Ten  Mile, 
Macedonia,  Thompsonville,  Mt.  Pleasant,  Jack- 
son Grove,  Union,  Pleasant  Valley,  Benton  Sec- 
ond, Bethel,  Christopher.    Total,  12. 

Fairfield— Norris  City,  Dahlgren,  Pleasant 
Grove,  Hickory  Hill,  Mill  Shoals,  Pleasant  Hill, 
Ellis  Mound,  Walnut  Grove,  Blue  Mound, 
New  Salem,  Thackery,  Tennessee  Bend,  Long 
Prairie,  Zion,  Union  Grove,  Ditney  Ridge, 
Middle  Creek,  Beaver  Creek,  Knight's  Prairie. 
Total,  21. 

Louisville — Effingham,  Watson,  Blue  Point, 
Jackson  Township,  Iola,  Second  Little  Prairie. 
Total,  6. 


9  2  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

Mt.  Erie — Bloom,  Barnhill,  Sims,  Unity, 
Wayne  City,  Samaria,  Antioch,  New  Zion,  Ziff, 
Indian  Prairie,  Mt.  Zion,  Olive  Branch,  New 
Massilon,  Bethany,  Six  Mile,  Enterprise, 
Brown's.    Total,  17. 

Macoupin — Honey  Point,  Pleasant  Dale,  Shi- 
loh.    Total,  3. 

Mattoon — Mt.  Zion.     Total,  1. 

Nine  Mile — Cross,  Ellis  Grove,  Fairview, 
Nine  Mile,  Sunfield,  Renault,  DeSoto,  Holt's 
Prairie,  Oak  Grove,  Galum,  Willisville,  Baldwin, 
Du  Quoin  First,  Richview,  Elkville,  Pujol,  Steele- 
ville,  Nashville.    Total,  18. 

Olney — Dundas.    Total,  1. 

Peoria — Brimfleld.    Total,  1. 

Palestine — Lawrenceville,  Mt.  Olive,  Olive 
Branch,  Island  Grove.    Total,  4. 

Rehoboth — Bayle  City,  Bingham,  Mt.  Zion, 
Bethel,  Bethlehem,  East  Fork,  Mt.  Carmel,  New 
Hope,  Mt.  Tabor,  Pleasant  Mound,  Hopewell, 
Van  Buren,  Corinth,  Liberty.     Total,  14. 

Salem  South — Bethlehem,  Mt.  Vernon  Sec- 
ond, Pleasant  Grove,  Salem,  Pleasant  Hill,  Oak 
Grove,  Bluford,  Lebanon,  Belle  Rive,  Moore's 
Prairie,  Kell,  Harmony,  Woodlawn,  New  Hope, 
Garden  Prairie,  Antioch,  Panther  Fork.  Total, 
17. 

Sandy  Creek — Bethel,  Hillview,  Oakland, 
Sheffield,  Straut,  Walkerville,  Kampsville.  To- 
tal, 7. 

Saline  County — Bankston  Fork,  Harrisburg 
McKinley  Avenue,  New  Salem,  South  America, 


ORGANIZATION  OF  STATE  ASSOCIATION        9  3 

Stonefort,  Carrier  Mills,  Raleigh,  Rileyville, 
Liberty,  Unity,  Union  Grove,  Equality,  Galatia, 
Long  Branch.    Total,  14. 

Springfield — Stonington.     Total,  1. 

Union — Azotus,  Cedar  Creek,  Grantsburg, 
New  Burnside,  Ozark,  New  Hope,  Friendship, 
Metropolis  First,  Ganntown,  New  Liberty  Mace- 
donia, County  Line,  New  Prospect,  Simpson, 
Hillerman,  Pleasant  Grove,  Cole  Springs,  Reeves- 
ville,  Vienna  First,  Waldo,  Brookport.  Total, 
21. 

Williamson — Creal  Springs,  Carterville, 
Grassy  Creek,  Hurricane,  Lauder  (Reeves),  Ma- 
rion First,  Union  Ridge,  Palestine,  Pleasant  Hill, 
Johnston  City,  Coal  Bank  Springs,  Crab  Orch- 
ard, Providence,  Indian  Camp,  Antioch,  Cana, 
Pigeon  Creek,  New  Hope.    Total,  18. 

Westfield— Clarksville,   Enon.     Total,   2. 

Total  number  of  churches,  226. 

All  these  churches  were  represented  at  Pinck- 
neyville  in  the  meeting  of  January  31,  either  by 
messenger  or  letter,  or  both,  and  it  is  certain  that 
no  more  enthusiastic  meeting  of  Baptists  had 
ever  before  been  held  in  the  state,  and  it  was 
demonstrated  that  no  movement  among  our  peo- 
ple had  ever  so  completely  won  the  Baptist  heart, 
especially  in  the  south  half  of  our    great  state. 

The  clerk's  minutes  of  the  January  meeting 
showing  what  was  done,  and  the  further  record 
of  the  first  annual  meeting  at  Herrin,  Oct.  22- 
24,  1907,  with  the  report  of  the  work  of  the  Mis- 
sion Board,  show  that  the  movement    was    no 


94  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

spasin,  but  was  one  into  which  our  pastors, 
preachers  and  people  were  putting  their  hearts 
and  their  means. 

So  the  Illinois  Baptist  State  Association  is 
here.  It  stands  for  the  old  Bible  faith  and  the 
old  Bible  practice,  and  it  draws  the  line  against 
those  who  would  destroy  that  faith  and  who 
would  abandon  that  practice.  Its  mission  is  to 
maintain  what  it  stands  for  and  to  be  a  channel 
through  which  the  churches  may  co-operate  in 
preaching  the  gospel  and  doing  the  work  which 
is  enjoined  upon  them  in  the  great  State  of  Illi- 
nois. 

Trusting  in  God  and  asking  in  Jesus'  name 
for  great  things,  it  goes  forward  with  a  faith 
which  looks  for  fulfillment.  It  appeals  to  every 
loyal  Baptist  in  the  state  to  stand  with  it,  work 
with  it  and  under  God  assist  it  in  bringing  great 
things  to  pass. 

Resume. 

Resume  of  the  work  of  the  Illinois  Baptist 
State  Association: 

The  Illinois  Baptist  State  Association,  from 
the  day  of  its  organization,  January  31,  1907, 
has  made  a  good  record.  All  along  it  has  had  the 
hearts  of  our  Baptist  people  and  they  have  been 
for  it  and  in  it.  They  have  felt  and  still  feel  that 
it  is  the  organization  which  they  need. 

On  the  day  of  the  organization  Judge  R.  H. 
Flannigan  of  East  St.  Louis,  was  elected  moder- 
ator; J.  K.  Trovillion  of  Brownfleld,  assistant 
moderator ;  Charles  E.  Hitt  of  Carterville,  secre- 


ORGANIZATION  OF  STATE  ASSOCIATION        95 

tary;  J.  D.  Hooker  of  McLeansboro,  assistant 
secretary.  The  constitution  which  had  been  pro- 
posed was  adopted  and  necessary  blanks  were 
filled.  The  first  Mission  Board  was  nominated 
and  elected  as  follows:  W.  P.  Throginorton,  J. 
V.  Williams,  F.  M.  Agnew,  James  A.  Baker,  A. 
L.  Smith,  R.  W.  Lee,  W.  H.  McCann,  S.  B.  Yoder, 
J.  L.  Payne,  H.  P.  Cravens,  C.  E.  Perryman,  J. 
W.  Reed,  W.  P.  Chamness,  W.  A.  Fuson,  O  R. 
Nelson,  J.  R.  Kelly,  E.  L.  Wendell,  A.  M.  Stamp- 
er, J.  S.  Bright,  J.  B.  Sikking,  Z.  Hickman,  W. 
R.  Mizell,  T.  R.  Kerr,  J.  D.  Mathias,  Ed  Leek, 
J.  M.  Rendleman,  D.  R.  Harrison,  J.  L.  Hender- 
shott.  Eighteen  of  these  were  ordained  minis 
ters ;  twelve  were  laymen ;  six  of  these  have  since 
departed  this  life,  four  of  whom  were  ministers. 
Committees  were  also  appointed  as  follows: 
On  State  of  Religion,  Christian  Stewardship, 
Sunday  School  Work,  Young  People's  Work,  Re- 
ligious Literature,  Auditing  Accounts  and  Con- 
sulting with  Treasurer,  Christian  Education. 

The  Mission  Board  proceeded  at  once  to  its 
work  and  elected  Brother  B.  F.  Rodman  of  Du 
Quoin  as  Superintendent  of  Missions  under  the 
title  of  Financial  Secretary,  and  the  following 
were  chosen  as  District  Missionaries  or  Evange- 
lists: Thomas  D.  Davis,  J.  C.  Myers,  J.  R.  Mc- 
Duffy,  T.  F.  Lowry,  and  H.  L.  Derr.  Some  of 
these  began  work  at  once.  Others  later.  Help 
was  voted  to  the  following  named  churches :  Alta 
Sita,  Winstanley,  and  the  East  St.  Louis  Second, 
all  of  East  St.  Louis.    The  pastors  to  be  helped 


9  6  BIOGRAPHY   OF  W.   P.   THROGMORTON 

at  these  places  were  W.  H.  Barnes  at  Alta  Sita; 
Harold  Reeder  at  Winstanley  and  M.  Culp  at 
the  Second  church.  Assistance  was  also  voted  to 
A.  M.  Kirkland  as  missionary  pastor  at  Mt.  Car- 
niel. 

What  is  called  the  first  annual  meeting  was 
held  with  the  First  Baptist  church  of  Herrin,  C. 
E.  Ferryman,  pastor,  October  22-24,  1907.  The 
reports  for  the  first  eight  months  showed  good 
work  accomplished.  Four  new  churches  were  or- 
ganized. Many  churches  were  aided  by  our 
evangelists  in  holding  revival  meetings.  Two 
churches  were  aided  in  work  on  building.  The 
amount  of  cash  collected  was  $3,509.47.  The 
number  approved  for  baptism,  238;  the  number 
added  to  the  churches  otherwise  was  122.  Total 
asking  for  membership,  360. 

At  this  meeting  Judge  R.  H.  Flannigan  was 
re-elected  as  moderator,  and  Charles  E.  Hitt  of 
Carterville  was  re-elected  clerk.  The  annual 
sermon  was  preached  by  Pastor  H.  A.  Todd  of 
Marion.  The  total  number  of  messengers  from 
churches,  life  members,  annual  members  and 
members  of  standing  committees,  footed  up  391. 
Ko  strict  account  of  visitors  was  kept,  but  it  was 
thought  that  all  told  the  attendance  footed  up 
more  than  700. 

The  second  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
First  Baptist  church  of  Marion,  Dr.  E.  L.  Carr, 
pastor,  October  27"29,  1908.  D.  K.  Barber 
preached  the  annual  sermon.  Judge  R.  H.  Flan- 
nigan was  again  elected  moderator  and  G.  W. 


ORGANIZATION  OF  STATE  ASSOCIATION        97 

Danbury  of  Du  Quoin  was  elected  clerk.  The 
total  enrollment  of  attendance  at  this  meeting- 
was  482.  Kesults  under  the  work  of  the  State 
Association  were  reported  for  the  year  as  fol- 
lows :  Approved  for  baptism,  1,296 ;  added  to  the 
churches  otherwise,  547;  total  asking  for  mem- 
bership, 1,843.  The  total  cash  raised,  $10,535.85. 
During  this  year  Dr.  C.  F.  J.  Tate,  then  of  Car- 
bondale,  was  state  evangelist. 

The  third  annual  session  was  held  with  the 
First  Baptist  church  of  Marshall,  Dr.  A.  M. 
Kirkland,  pastor,  October  26-28,  1909.  Judge  R. 
H.  Flannigan  was  again  elected  moderator  and 
G.  W.  Danbury,  clerk.  The  annual  sermon  was 
preached  by  Dr.  E.  V.  Lamb  of  East  St.  Louis. 
The  Mission  Board  reported  results  for  the  year's 
work  as  follows  :  Number  of  men  employed,  fifty ; 
approved  for  baptism,  1,349 ;  added  to  the  church- 
es otherwise,  417;  total  asking  for  church  mem- 
bership, 1,763 ;  churches  organized,  seven ;  Sun- 
day schools  organized,  seventeen ;  houses  dedicat- 
ed, seven;  churches  aided  in  supporting  pastors, 
twenty-two;  cash  collected  for  State  Association 
work,  $11,938.12.  The  total  enrollment  showed 
an  attendance  of  306. 

The  fourth  annual  session  was  held  with  the 
First  Baptist  church  of  Pana,  W.  A.  Fuson,  pas- 
tor, October  25-17,  1910.  Preacher  of  the  an- 
nual sermon,  Pastor  H.  B.  Cox  of  Harrisburg. 
Dr.  M.  Teague  of  Du  Quoin  was  elected  moder- 
ator and  G.  W.  Danbury  was  continued  as  clerk. 
The  total  enrollment  of  messengers  and  visitors 


98  BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

was  341.  The  report  of  the  Mission  Board  show- 
ed the  following:  Approved  for  baptism,  1,217; 
added  otherwise,  459;  total  asking  for  church 
membership,  1,676;  churches  organized,  eight; 
Sunday  schools  organized,  eleven;  houses  dedi- 
cated, four;  churches  aided  in  supporting  pas- 
tors, thirty-five;  number  of  employes,  sixty-two; 
cash  collected  for  the  work,  $14,331.97.  The 
number  of  contributing  churches  was  493. 

This  year  we  had  visitors  from  the  Southern 
Baptist  Convention.  Dr.  Lansing  Burrows,  rep- 
resenting the  Sunday  School  Board  of  Nash- 
ville, Tennessee,  and  Dr.  B.  D.  Gray,  represent- 
ing the  Home  Mission  Board  of  Atlanta,  Ga. 

The  fifth  annual  meeting  was  with  the  First 
Baptist  church  of  East  St.  Louis,  Dr.  E.  V.  Lamb, 
pastor,  October  24-26,  1911.  Pastor  J.  B.  Webb 
of  Anna  preached  the  annual  sermon.  Dr.  M. 
Teague  of  Du  Quoin  was  re-elected  moderator 
and  G.  W.  Danbury  of  Du  Quoin,  clerk.  The  to- 
tal enrollment  showed  an  attendance  of  520.  The 
report  of  the  Mission  Board  gave  the  following : 
Approved  for  baptism,  972 ;  added  to  the  church- 
es otherwise,  536;  total  asking  for  church  mem- 
bership, 1,508;  new  churches  organized,  three; 
Sunday  schools  organized,  nine;  houses  of  wor- 
ship dedicated,  seven ;  churches  aided  in  support- 
ing pastors,  thirty-seven;  number  of  employes, 
fifty-four;  amount  collected  for  State  Mission 
work,  |14,658.04 ;  amount  raised  for  Church  Edi- 
fice work,  |4,675.00;  total  raised  for  State  Mis- 
sions and  Church  Building,  f  19,333.04 ;  total  col- 


ORGANIZATION  OF  STATE  ASSOCIATION        99 

lected  for  Home  and  Foreign  Mission  work, 
14,910.09. 

The  sixth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
First  Baptist  church  of  Harrisburg,  H.  B.  Cox, 
pastor,  October  22-24,  1912.  The  enrollment  of 
attendance  was  508.  The  annual  sermon  was 
preached  by  Pastor  H.  H.  Wallace  of  Herrin. 
Pastor  E.  V.  Lamb  was  elected  moderator  and 
G.  W.  Danbury  of  Du  Quoin  was  re-elected 
clerk.  The  report  of  the  Mission  Board  showed 
results  as  follows:  Number  approved  for  bap- 
tism, 920;  number  added  to  the  churches  other- 
wise, 387;  total  asking  for  church  membership, 
1,307;  number  of  new  churches  organized,  four; 
number  of  Sunday  schools  organized,  fifteen; 
houses  of  worship  dedicated,  eight;  number  of 
churches  aided  in  supporting  pastors,  twenty- 
three;  number  of  employees,  forty-five.  Total 
cash  raised  for  State  Mission  work,  f  15,902.49. 
At  this  meeting  Dr.  A.  U.  Boone  was  present  to 
represent  the  Baptist  Sunday  School  Board  of 
Nashville,  Tennessee.  Dr.  J.  W.  Porter  of  the 
Western  Eecorder,  Louisville,  Kentucky,  was  in 
attendance  and  preached  a  great  sermon.  Dr.  W. 
D.  Powell  of  Kentucky  also  attended. 

The  seventh  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the  First  Baptist  church  of  Du  Quoin,  H.  H. 
Wallace,  pastor,  October  28-30,  1913.  The  total 
enrollment  of  attendance  was  425.  These  figures 
would  have  been  much  greater  had  it  not  been 
for  the  bad  weather.  This  was  the  first  year  in 
which  our  annual  meeting  had  met  with  unfavor- 


100        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

able  weather  conditions.  The  report  of  the  Mis- 
sion Board  showed  figures  for  work  as  follows: 
Approved  for  baptism,  1136 ;  added  to  the  church- 
es otherwise,  515;  total  number  asking  for 
church  membership,  1651 ;  new  churches  organiz- 
ed, ten;  Sunday  schools  organized,  twelve; 
houses  of  worship  dedicated,  eight ;  churches  aid- 
ed in  supporting  pastors,  eighteen;  number  of 
employees,  forty-two;  cash  collected  for  State 
Mission  work,  f  16,837.11.  The  annual  sermon  for 
this  meeting  was  preached  by  J.  D.  Hooker,  Mc- 
Leansboro.  W.  A.  Fuson  of  Pana  was  elected 
moderator  and  G.  W.  Danbury  of  Du  Quoin  was 
re-elected  clerk.  Among  the  visitors  were  Dr.  J. 
B.  Gambrell  of  Dallas,  Texas,  and  Secretary  A. 
E.  Brown,  representing  the  Home  Mission 
Board.  The  Baptist  Sunday  School  Board  of 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  was  represented  by  Dr.  I. 
J.  Van  Ness. 

The  eighth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
First  Baptist  church  of  Marion,  W.  P.  Throg- 
morton,  pastor,  October  20-22,  1914.  The  total 
enrollment  at  this  meeting  showed  an  attendance 
of  850,  just  exactly  twice  that  of  the  preceding 
year.  W.  A.  Fuson  was  again  elected  moderator 
and  Dr.  G.  W.  Danbury,  clerk.  The  annual  ser- 
mon was  preached  by  Pastor  E.  M.  Ryan  of  Car- 
mi.  The  visitors  were  Dr.  Victor  I.  Masters  of 
Atlanta,  Georgia,  representing  Home  Missions; 
Dr.  R.  M.  Inlow  of  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  who 
delivered  an  address  on  State  Missions;  Dr.  L. 
R.  Scarborough,  representing  the  Southwestern 


ORGANIZATION  OF  STATE  ASSOCIATION     101 

Baptist  Theological  Seminary  of  Fort  Worth, 
Texas;  Dr.  T.  B.  Ray,  of  Richmond,  Virginia, 
representing  the  Foreign  Mission  Board  of  the 
Southern  Baptist  Convention;  Brother  J.  T. 
Henderson  of  Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  Secretary 
of  the  Layman's  Movement  of  the  Southern  Bap- 
tist Convention.  The  report  of  the  Mission  Board 
showed  the  following  figures:  approved  for  bap- 
tism, 1222 ;  added  to  the  churches  otherwise,  516 ; 
total  asking  for  church  membership,  1738;  new 
churches  organized,  eleven;  Sunday  schools  or- 
ganized, five;  houses  of  worship  dedicated,  five; 
number  of  employees,  sixty-two;  total  collected 
for  State  Missions,  $17,634.27;  total  for  Home 
Missions  and  Church  Building,  $3,768.10;  total 
for  Foreign  Missions,  $6,323.87. 

The  ninth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
First  Baptist  church  of  Johnston  City.  Clarence 
Hodge,  pastor,  October  26-29.  The  annual  ser- 
mon was  preached  by  Pastor  Julian  Atwood  of 
Jonesboro.  H.  H.  Wallace  of  Herrin  was  elected 
moderator  and  Dr.  G.  W.  Danbury  was  re-elected 
clerk.  The  total  enrollment  showed  an  attend- 
ance of  1346.  Among  visitors  were  the  following : 
Dr.  L.  R.  Scarborough  of  the  Southwestern  Bap- 
tist Theological  Seminary;  Dr.  J.  F.  Love  of 
Richmond,  Virginia,  representing  Foreign  Mis- 
sions; Dr.  B.  D.  Gray  of  Atlanta,  Georgia  repre- 
senting Home  Missions;  Missionary  John  Lowe 
of  China;  Missionary  Y.  H.  Shahbaz  of  Urmia, 
Persia;  Brother  J.  T.  Henderson  of  Knoxville, 
Tennessee.  The  report  of  the  Mission  Board  gave 


102        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

the  following  figures :  Number  approved  for  bap- 
tism, 1242 ;  added  to  the  churches  otherwise,  442 ; 
total  asking  for  church  membership,  1684;  new 
churches  organized,  four;  Sunday  schools  organ- 
ized, three;  houses  of  worship  dedicated,  five; 
number  of  employees,  fifty-six.  Total  cash  colect- 
ed  for  State  Mission  work,  $18,760.80.  Total  col- 
lected for  Home  Missions,  $2,627.51.  Total  for 
Foreign  Missions,  $4,252.82. 

The  tenth  annual  meeting  wTas  held  with  the 
First  Baptist  church  of  Harrisburg,  Dr.  A.  E. 
Booth,  pastor,  October  24-27,  1916.  The  total  en- 
rollment of  attendance  at  this  meeting  was  1748. 
Brother  W.  S.  Wilson  of  Pinckneyville  was  elect- 
ed moderator  and  Dr.  G.  W.  Danbury  of  Du 
Quoin,  clerk.  The  annual  sermon  was  preached 
by  Pastor  G.  W.  Allison  of  East  St.  Louis. 
Among  visitors  were  the  following:  Boyce  Tay- 
lor of  Murray,  Kentucky;  Dr.  J.  W.  Gillon  of 
Nashville,  Tennessee;  Dr.  L.  B.  Warren  of  At- 
lanta, Georgia,  representing  the  work  of 
Church  Building;  Dr.  K.  G.  Bowers  of  Paducah, 
Kentucky;  Bro.  W.  S.  Wiley,  representing  the 
Baptist  Sunday  School  Board;  Missionary  W. 
B.  Bagby  of  Brazil;  John  Isaac  of  Urmia, 
Persia. 

The  association  has  grown  in  work,  in  pro- 
gressive spirit,  in  breadth  of  vision,  and  in  re- 
sults achieved.  Every  thing  points  to  its  perma- 
nency. It  is  made  up  of  a  homogeneous  constit- 
uency of  brethren  who  support  the  State  As- 
sociation and  who  will  never  affiliate  with  the 


ORGANIZATION  OF  STATE  ASSOCIATION      103 

Illinois  Baptist  State  Convention  nor  with  the 
Northern  Baptist  Convention  until  those  bodies 
materially  change  in  doctrine  and  practice,  or  un- 
til the  State  Association  changes,  neither  of 
which  results  is  likely  to  come  to  pass  very  soon. 
The  State  Association  and  the  associations  which 
fraternize  with  us  are  a  unit  in  standing  for  the 
old  faith  and  the  old  practice  of  Baptists,  and 
the  Southern  Baptist  Convention  with  which 
the  State  Association  is  connected  is  likewise. 

Retrospect  and  Prospect. 

The  Ilinois  Baptist  Association  has  perhaps 
done  more  for  the  building  up  of  Christ's  King- 
dom, in  Central  and  Southern  Illinois  than  any 
other  one  agency  during  the  past  ten  years. 

It  has  a  constituency  of  more  than  500  Bap- 
tist churches  which  are  hearty  in  its  support. 
They  are  thoroughly  attached  to  it  because,  as 
they  believe,  it  stands  for  true  Baptist  ideals  and 
holds  the  faith  of  the  Baptist  fathers. 

Within  the  ten  years  of  its  history  the  rec- 
ords show  that  under  the  labors  of  its  evangel- 
ists and  missionary  pastors  11,332  have  been 
approved  for  baptism ;  4,547  have  been  added  to 
the  churches  by  letter  and  otherwise;  making  a 
total  of  15,879  who  have  asked  for  church  mem- 
bership 

In  the  ten  years  the  amount  collected  for 
State  Missions  has  been,  as  reported,  f  145,027.77. 
An  average  of  more  than  f  14,000.00  per  year,  all 
in  contributions  from  individuals  and  churches. 


104        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

The  association  has  no  endowment  fund  as  yet 
of  any  kind. 

During  the  first  two  years  the  summaries 
given  in  the  reports  of  the  Mission  Board  do 
not  give  the  number  of  new  churches  organized 
nor  does  it  give  the  number  of  new  Sunday 
Schools.  But  during  the  past  eight  years,  fifty 
three  new  churches  were  planted  and  the  number 
of  Sunday  schools  organized  was  seventy-two. 

Besides  this,  money  has  been  raised  for  Home 
and  Foreign  Missions,  for  church  building  and 
for  Education.  Since  the  spring  of  1910,  the  as- 
sociation has  been  in  alignment  with  the  South- 
ern Baptist  Convention,  and  this  has  given  our 
people  a  breadth  of  vision  which  otherwise  would 
hardly  have  been  realized.  In  few  sections  of  our 
great  country  has  there  been  greater  progress 
in  all  that  is  denominationally  good  than  among 
the  Baptists  of  the  State  Association. 

The  past  ten  years  has  not  been  a  bad  test. 
Every  year  has  been  one  of  growth.  There  has 
not  been  seen  the  least  tendency  in  the  body  to 
disintegration  or  to  a  letting  up  in  service.  The 
State  Association  seems  as  truly  to  be  entrenched 
as  an  organization  in  the  affections  of  the  broth- 
erhood, as  does  any  local  association.  Take  for 
instance,  Clear  Creek  Association  or  Franklin. 
Who  could  think  of  these  local  bodies  as  coming 
to  naught? 

The  State  Association  is  a  combination  of  dis- 
trict associations,  of  churches  and  of  individual 
Baptists  brought  together  under  a  movement  as 


ORGANIZATION  OF  STATE  ASSOCIATION     105 

dear  to  the  conservative,  orthodox  Baptist  heart 
as  life.  Some  of  the  enemies  of  the  State  Associa- 
tion have  said,  "AVhen  W.  P.  Throgniorton  dies 
the  State  Association  will  be  no  more ;"  but  there 
is  not  the  least  indication  that  such  an  event  will 
follow  our  brother's  demise.  Leadersip  is  im- 
portant, but  God  will  see  to  it  that  among  the 
consecrated  Baptists  of  Illinois,  no  matter  what 
man  of  prominence  is  called  home,  there  shall 
be  no  lack  of  leaders. 

Our  work  of  missions  and  evangelism  will  be 
carried  right  on;  we  must  come  to  our  own  in 
Educational  and  Orphanage  work.  We  must  con- 
tinue to  maintain  the  standard  of  sound  doctrine 
and  orderly  practice.  We  must  continue  to  live 
and  to  do. 

Illinois  Baptist  State  Association  Mission  Board. 
Officers. 

Chairman,  W.  P.  Throgniorton Marion. 

Secretary,  C.  W.  Culp Du  Quoin. 

Secretary  of  Missions,  B.  F.  Rodman 

Du  Quoin. 

S.  S.  and  B.  Y.  P.  U.  Secretary,  Thomas  C.  Ury 

Jonesboro 

Cor.  Sec'y  Woman's  Auxiliary,  Miss  Mary  North- 

ington Marion. 

Executive  Committee. 
W.  P.  Throgniorton,  M^arion;  M.  Teague,  Du- 
Quoin;  H.  B.  Cox,  Eldorado;  C.  W.  Culp,  Du- 
Quoin;  W.  E.  Williams,  Eldorado. 


106        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

Members. 

Term  Expires  1917. — M.  Teague,  Du  Quoin; 
A.  E.  Booth,  Harrisburg;  T.  R.  Kerr,  Golconda; 
W.  R.  Mizell,  New  Burnside;  N.  M.  Antrobus, 
Manchester ;  Ira  M.  Biggs,  Dupo ;  Marion  Drake, 
Oblong;  W.  T.  Brydon,  Albion;  D.  K.  Barber, 
East  St.  Louis;  J.  H.  Felts,  Marion. 

Term  Expires  1918. — W.  P.  Throginorton, 
Marion;  H.  B.  Cox,  Eldorado;  Chas.  Bersche, 
Casey;  R.  W.  Lee,  Thompsonville ;  W.  P.  Charn- 
ness,  West  York ;  W.  E.  Williams,  Eldorado ;  T. 

F.  Harley,  Odin;  T.  E.  Ervin,  Patoka;  A.  P. 
Gregory,  Roodhouse;  W.  M.  Ewing,  Burnt  Prai- 
rie ;  L.  D.  Smith,  McLeansboro. 

Term  Expires  1919. — W.  E.  Baker,  Golconda; 

G.  W.  Allison,  East  St.  Louis;  T.  J.  Wheeler, 
West  Union ;  W.  A.  Fuson,  Pana ;  G.  L.  Huggins, 
Marshall;  F.  M.  Agnew,  Makanda;  T.  W.  Tate, 
Cairo;  C.  W.  Culp,  Du  Quoin;  John  W.  Dye, 
Christopher. ! 

B.  F.  Rodman. 

B.  F.  Rodman  was  ordained  to  the  ministry 
in  the  First  Baptist  church  of  Benton  in  Febru- 
ary 1879,  under  the  pastorate  of  Dr.  W.  P. 
Throginorton.  For  some  time  however,  he  did  not 
give  himself  wholly  to  the  sacred  calling,  but 
continued  to  work  in  a  mill  where  he  was  em- 
ployed for  eighteen  years.  The  pressing  needs 
of  his  young  and  growing  family  seemed  to  de- 
mand all  his  time  and  means. 

But  in  the  fall  of  1883,  when  Franklin  as- 
sociation and  the  Illinois  Baptist  General  As- 


B.  F.  Rodman,  Secretary  of  Missions 
DuQuoin,  111. 


ORGANIZATION  OF  STATE  ASSOCIATION     107 

sociation  began  co-operation  and  a  man  was 
needed  for  the  Franklin  association  field,  Broth- 
er Throgmorton  said,  "B.  F.  Rodman  is  the  man 
for  us."  So  in  company  with  Brother  E.  S.  Gra- 
ham, he  went  to  the  mill  and  told  Brother  Bod- 
man  what  was  wanted.  It  was  a  "clear  case  of 
calling  out  the  called."  Immediately  Rodman  be- 
gan work  and  from  then  till  now  has  given  him- 
self wholly  to  the  Lord's  service. 

Until  the  formation  of  the  "New  State  Associ- 
ation," he  continued  in  the  employ  of  the  old 
State  Body,  with  the  exception  of  just  a  few 
weeks  which  were  immediately  before  his  em- 
ployment by  the  new. 

From  Jan.  31,  1907,  to  now  he  has  served 
the  State  Association  as  faithfully  as  any  man 
could  serve  any  organization,  and  while  he  and 
Dr.  Throgmorton  had  worked  shoulder  to  should- 
er before,  since  that  time  their  fellowship  has 
been  more  intimate  still — the  one  as  field  sec- 
retary and  the  other  as  chairman  of  the  Board 
of  Missions.  Together  they  have  carried  heavy 
burdens  when  necessary  and  together  they  have 
rejoiced  in  the  pleasures  of  success. 

Brother  Rodman  has  the  fullest  confidence  of 
the  brethren,  and  we  presume  that  no  man  in 
the  State  Association  comes  as  near  knowing 
them  all  by  name  and  face  as  does  he.  He  visits  a 
multitude  of  churches  each  year  and  he  every- 
where finds  a  welcome. 

He  and  Dr.  Throgmorton  are  nearly  of  the 
same  age,  the  latter  being  his  senior  by  less  than 


108        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

one  year.  It  is  good  to  know  that  both  men  are 
robust  yet  and  that  each  possesses  a  physique 
which  shows  little  indications  of  yielding  to  the 
passing  of  the  years. 

J.  0.  Raines. 

Before  the  Illinois  Baptist  was  launched, 
Bro.  J.  O.  Raines  was  publishing  a  paper  at 
Manchester,  111.,  called  the  "Primitive  Mission- 
ary." It  was  devoted  to  the  interests  of  Foreign 
Missions,  especially  in  Syria,  which  were  in 
charge  of  the  "Baptist  Missionary  Convention." 
His  paper  was  merged  into  the  Illinois  Baptist 
when  the  latter  began  publication,  and  Brother 
Kaines  has  been  one  of  the  associate  editors  ever 
since,  and  has  devoted  himself  chiefly  to  the 
paper,  to  the  cause  of  foreign  missions  and  to 
evangelism. 

The  field  of  the  Baptist  Missionary  Conven- 
tion has  expanded  till  it  takes  in  work  in  Syria 
and  Persia  as  well  as  in  Galilee.  With  this  work 
the  State  Association  has  been  more  or  less 
identified  from  the  beginning,  while  for  several 
years  it  has  also  fostered  the  work  of  the  Rich- 
mond Board  of  the  Southern  Baptist  Conven- 
tion. 

Brother  Raines  is  a  man  of  great  push  and  en- 
thusiasm, and  has  worked  arm  in  arm  with  Dr. 
Throgmorton  in  all  the  enterprises  of  the  State 
Association.  He  is  a  good  man. 

Woman's  Auxiliary. 

The  Woman's  Auxiliary  of  the  I.  B.  S.  A., 
was  organized  at  Herrin  October,  1907.  Mrs.  J. 


ORGANIZATION  OF  STATE  ASSOCIATION      109 

A.  Leavitt  of  Ewing  was  the  first  president,  The 
next  year,  at  Marion,  Mrs.  W.  P.  Throgmorton 
was  elected  to  the  chair  and  has  been  president 
ever  since.  She  has  been  faithful  and  untiring 
in  all  her  efforts  and  is  greatly  beloved  by  the 
women. 

The  first  field  secretary  for  this  woman's 
work  was  Miss  Dora  Lee  Cain  of  Auburn,  Geor- 
gia. She  began  her  work  in  January,  1911,  and 
continued  till  June  of  1912.  Miss  Cain  was  a 
very  competent  woman  and  was  most  efficient 
in  service.  In  October,  1912,  Miss  Julia  Price  of 
Virginia  became  the  field  worker  but  served  for 
only  about  six  months,  when  conditions  made  it 
necessary  that  the  work  be  suspended. 

After  this  no  field  worker  was  employed  till 
July  1915,  when  Miss  Mary  Northington  of 
Clarksville,  Tenn.,  was  secured,  and  she  has 
proven  to  be  the  woman  for  the  work.  Under  her 
supervision  the  work  has  grown  wonderfully 
and  interest  is  constantly  increasing.  Last  year 
the  contribution  from  the  women  footed  up  to 
nearly  $5,000,  and  many  other  indications  of 
progress  have  appeared.  State,  Home  and  For- 
eign Missions  and  Education  are  emphasized. 
Just  now  under  the  auspices  of  the  Woman's 
Auxiliary  there  are  six  girls  in  the  Louisville 
Woman's  Missionary  Training  school.  The  wo- 
men are  also  working  for  the  Building  and  Loan 
Fund  of  the  Baptist  Home  Mission  Board  of 
Atlanta,  Ga.,  and  are  raising  $1,200.00  as  a 
memorial  for  Dr.  and  Mrs.  W.  P.  Throgmorton. 


110        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

This  great  gain  in  the  Woman's  work  has 
been  largely  due  to  the  wide-a-wake  methods  and 
consecrated  leadership  of  Miss  Northington,  who 
has  made  a  large  place  for  herself  in  the  people's 
hearts  of  the  State  Association. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

FIFTY  DEBATES. 

No  men  among  us  could  better  testify  to  the 
greatness  of  Dr.  Throgmorton  in  debate  than  Dr. 
M.  Teague  and  Dr.  G.  W.  Danbury,  both  of  Du 
Quoin,  111. 

Bro.  Teague  makes  this  observation :  "If  you 
have  never  heard  Bro.  Throgmorton  in  debate, 
you  have  never  seen  him  at  his  best.  I  have  heard 
a  great  many  men  in  debate  but  I  have  never 
seen  his  equal.  I  moderated  for  him  in  twelve  or 
thirteen  debates  and  he  was  always  pleasant,  if 
his  opponent  would  let  him  be.  He  would  give  the 
other  fellow  rope  and  then  wind  him  up  and  ut- 
terly crush  him.  He  did  more  than  any  other 
person  to  set  aside  the  old  Hardshell  views  that 
once  reigned  in  this  country  and  he  kept  Camp- 
bellism  from  over-running  the  land." 

Dr.  G.  W.  Danbury  says  he  moderated  for 
Dr.  Throgmorton  in  fifteen  debates,  beginning  at 
Fulton,  Kentucky,  with  the  one  with  Potter.  As 
a  result  of  that  debate  many  prominent  Hard- 
shells  have  come  to  us.  He  further  states  that 
Dr.  Throgmorton's  great  strength  rests  in  his 
clearness  in  stating  a  position,  and  always  stat- 
ing it  within  the  limits  of  absolute  facts.  He 
always  makes  statements  as  to  facts  which  he 
can  prove.  Also  he  refrains  from  taking  advan- 
tage of  an  adversary's  mistakes.    His  simplicity 

is  the  most  remarkable  quality  about  him. 

111 


112        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

Throgmorton-Potter  Debate. 

Editorial  clipped  from  "The  Baptist"  of 
Memphis,  Term.,  Dr.  J.  R.  Graves,  Editor : 

"For  many  years  there  have  been  rumors  of 
war  between  what  is  known  at  the  Antimission- 
ary,  or  Hardshell  Baptists,  and  the  Missionary, 
After  much  crossfiring  and  correspondence  the 
agreement  was  reached  to  meet  at  Fulton,  Ky., 
on  July  12,  1887,  and  discuss  the  question,  'Who 
are  the  Primitive  Baptists?'  Eld.  W.  P.  Throg- 
niorton,  editor  of  The  Baptist  Banner  of  Illinois, 
was  chosen  to  represent  the  Missionary  Baptists 
and  Eld.  Lemuel  Potter  of  Indiana,  was  chosen 
to  represent  the  Antimissionary. 

"The  weather  was  warm  but  a  pleasant  place 
had  been  prepared  in  a  beautiful  grove,  and 
promptly  to  the  hour  a  large  congregation  had 
assembled,  which  continued  to  give  close  atten- 
tion to  the  arguments  adduced  on  both  sides. 
When  we  beheld  the  upturned  faces  of  the  eager 
multitude,  as  important  truth  was  being  poured 
into  their  ears,  with  their  patient  endurance  of 
six  hours  per  day  attendance  upon  the  word,  we 
could  but  pity  as  we  hardly  pity  any  other  class, 
that  large  portion  of  people  who  set  themselves 
in  hostile  array  to  oral  discussions.  Our  observa- 
tion is,  that  our  brethren  are  converted  to  debates 
when  they  attend  and  see  for  themselves.  They 
fail  to  find  the  fuss  and  fire  and  flying  fur,  fan- 
cied by  them  from  their  fearfulness. 

"Bro.  Throgmorton,  who  represented  the  Mis- 
sionary side  is  37  years  old  and  weighs  250,  and 


FIFTY  DEBATES  113 

stands  six  feet,  four  inches  with  ease.  He  is  the 
picture  of  health  and  speaks  with  deliberation 
and  decision.  He  was  fully  prepared  with  his 
affirmation  argument  which  occupied  him  the 
first  two  days,  with  an  extra  session  of  two  hours 
the  night  of  the  second  day. 

"Elder  Potter  is  forty-five  years  old,  five  feet 
six  inches  high  and  weighs  150  pounds.  He  is 
thoroughly  prepared  on  his  side  of  the  question, 
and  made  the  best  showing  that  can  be  made. 
He  is  deliberate,  has  himself  well  under  control, 
and  is  a  pleasant  speaker  and  good  debater. 
Nothing  was  said  or  done,  during  the  whole  dis- 
cussion by  either  speaker  that  was  discourteous 
or  that  jeopardized  a  single  rule  of  debate.  The 
community  which  was  hitherto  indifferent,  turn- 
ing out  at  first  through  curiosity,  soon  became 
thoroughly  interested  and  acted  as  though  it  was 
good  and  pleasant  to  be  there.  Both  sides  ac- 
knowledge a  debt  of  gratitude  to  the  whole  com- 
munity. 

"Brother  Danbury  of  Jonesboro,  Midkiff  of 
Anna,  Teague  of  DuQuoin,  and  Blanchard  of 
Hartsville,  were  present  from  Illinois.  Bro.  Dan- 
bury  graced  the  moderator's  chair  for  the  Mis- 
sionaries, while  Eld.  Kirkland  of  Farmington, 
Ky.,  presided  for  the  other  side.  Elder  Cook  of 
Fulton  was  chosen  umpire  but  was  seldom  in  his 
place  as  it  soon  become  evident  that  his  services 
would  not  be  needed. 

"Two  shorthand  reporters  were  engaged  to 
take  the  speeches  for  publication  in  book  form, 


114        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

and  by  agreement  no  report  of  the  arguments  is 
allowed  to  be  published  in  the  papers. 

"It  is  the  opinion  of  this  writer  that  the  best 
argument  and  historical  references  that  have  yet 
been  prepared  on  these  issues  will  be  found  in 
this  book.  It  will  be  the  best  document  for  devel- 
oping missionary  and  educational  interests 
among  our  people.  Stated  salaries  for  preachers, 
missionary  boards,  and  mission  and  educational 
questions  will  be  developed  in  this  book." 
Dr.  S.  M.  Brown  in  Word  and  Way 
(Feb.  1897.) 

"Dr.  W.  P.  Throgmorton  of  the  Baptist  News 
is  a  debater.  He  believes  it  to  be  his  sacred  duty 
to  discuss  matters  with  a  brother,  especially  a 
Campbellite  brother  who  is  d}Ting  for  a  'spute.' 
He  is,  in  our  judgment,  the  best  debater  now 
living.  To  begin  with  he  is  a  Christian.  He  weighs 
about  260  pounds  with  no  surplus  flesh.  He  is 
sensible  and  kind.  He  does  not  debate  to  get  a 
victory  for  himself.  He  stands  up  for  God's  truth. 
Now  we  have  always  been  skeptical  on  the  debat- 
ing business,  but  if  anybody  on  earth  could  get 
us  into  one,  it  would  be  Bro.  Throgmorton.  He 
does  not  seek  debate,  but  if  they  just  will  have 
it,  he  is  not  afraid." 

Campbellite  Praise. 

From  Banner  and  Gleaner,  Sept.  28,  1891, 
then  edited  by  W.  P.  Throgmorton  and  J.  N. 
Hall. 

"If  we  copy  a  sentence  or  two  complimentary 
of  our  worthy  senior  Editor  (W.  P.  T.),  while  he 


FIFTY  DEBATES  115 

is  away  from  the  office,  it  will  not  be  deemed  out 
of  place,  especially  when  the  source  of  it  is  con- 
sidered." 

Elder  B.  A.  Howard,  of  the  Campbellite 
church,  in  reporting  the  debate  at  Wingo,  Ky., 
for  the  Apostolic  church  (Edited  by  W.  L.  But- 
ler with  whom  Dr.  T.  debated),  has  this  to  say 
about  Bro.  T." 

'Bro.  Throgmorton,  the  Baptist,  is  tall,  fair 
complexion,  light  hair  and  blue  eyes.  If  he  were 
a  lady  I  should  call  him  a  blonde.  He  is  a  pleasant 
kind-hearted,  genial  Christian  gentleman,  and 
one  of  the  ablest  debaters  I  have  ever  heard  in  a 
discussion  of  any  kind. 

'His  pleasant  countenance,  gentlemanly  de- 
meanor and  Christian  spirit,  manifested  in  his 
intercourse  with  all  those  around  him,  makes 
friends  of  those  who  differ  from  him  and  pro- 
claim him  a  polished  gentleman.  His  opponents 
are  almost  forced  to  exclaim,  'What  a  pity  he  is 
not  the  champion  of  a  better  cause !'  And  though 
he  is  not  so  logical  and  clear  as  his  opponent,  I 
have  never  witnessed  more  ability  in  attempt- 
ing to  answer  unanswerable  arguments.  His  tact 
and  shrewdness  in  disposing  of  his  opponent's 
strong  points  and  in  making  them  appear  weak, 
and  even  frivolous,  are  of  the  highest  order.  If 
he  were  to  affirm  that  white  is  black,  and  make 
an  argument  in  the  presence  of  his  friends,  they 
would  be  almost  irresistably  drawn  to  his  con- 
clusion, and  be  ready  to  swear  he  had  proven  his 
proposition.  His  coolness  and  self-control  while 


116        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

listening  to  arguments,  that  would  bring  con- 
sternation to  a  weaker  man,  are  wonderful  in- 
deed. His  nonchalance  under  the  most  discourag- 
ing circumstances  is  surprising,  and  when  he  is 
pressed  to  the  wall  by  his  opponent,  he  exhibits 
the  most  perfect  apparent  indifference.' 

"This  man  was  there.  He  felt,  oh  so  keenly, 
the  sharp  Damascus  blade,  as  its  repeated  strokes 
fell  on  the  now  decomposing  carcass  of  his  be- 
loved system.  We  are  glad  to  note,  however,  the 
spirit  of  fairness  and  candor  that  Bro.  Howard 
exhibits  in  giving  to  Bro.  T.  the  honor  due  him." 
J.  N.  H. 

Dr.  Throgmorton  in  Debate. 

Dr.  Throgmorton  said  the  way  to  do  was  to 
get  a  strong  plea,  which  you  believed  with  all 
your  heart,  and  get  other  folks  to  think  it  the 
greatest  thing  in  the  world. 

Dr.  Throgmorton  once  remarked  to  me,  "We 
preachers  do  not  throw  ourselves  into  our  ser- 
mons as  we  should.  Now,  when  I  used  to  debate, 
I  felt  the  importance  of  the  hour.  I  must  be 
ready  to  meet  every  argument  of  the  other  man. 
I  must  impress  the  audience  in  that  way  and  the 
moderator  in  that  way,  and  the  opponent  in  that 
way.  I  must  be  on  the  alert  and  use  all  my  powers 
of  mind  to  meet  the  occasion.  I  remember  that 
without  taking  a  scrap  of  a  note,  I  could  reply  to 
my  opponent,  taking  up  his  argument  step  by 
step,  requoting  his  Scripture  proofs  and  refuting 
him  at  every  turn." 


FIFTY  DEBATES  H7 

"If  we  could  so  preach  in  that  way  all  the 
time,  we  would  do  much  more  good.  But  many 
times,  sad  to  say,  we  appear  indifferent  to  the 
great  task  before  us.  Possibly  if  we  had  two 
thousand  men  like  Lee  Scarborough  we  could 
take  the  world.  Thus  far,  he  represents  my  ideal 
of  what  a  preacher  should  be." 

"It  is  a  great  thing  to  feel  there  is  an  emer- 
gency and  that  I  am  right  in  the  midst  of  it.  Thus 
I  used  to  feel  in  debate." 

Dr.  Moody's  Estimate. 
Dr.  J.  B.  Moody  in  1892  told  Dr.  Lipsey  of 
Taylorville,  Ark.,  that  Dr.  Throgmorton  was  the 
best  debater  in  the  Southern  Baptist  Convention. 
That  was  while  Dr.  Throgmorton  was  pastor  at 
Fort  Smith,  Ark. 

Porter's  Praise. 
Dr.  J.  J.  Porter,  heard  Dr.  Throgmorton  de- 
bate with  Briney  in  August  1898  and  wrote  his 
impression  of  Dr.  T.  in  the  following  language : 

"Bro.  Throgmorton  is  rather  slow  and  sure- 
footed ;  knows  where  all  the  weak  points  are  and 
is  rather  inclined  to  let  his  opponent  play  while 
he  builds  up  his  temple  of  truth.  Then  from  that 
structure  he  gets  the  range  of  his  adversary  and 
turns  his  heavy  guns  on  him  and  the  result  is  the 
fortifications  of  error  go  up  and  down  in  smoke 
and  ruins." 

Dr.  Danbury  on  the  Daily-Throgmorton  Debate. 

The  Daily-Throgmorton  debate  has  come  and 

gone,  and  I,  having  had  the  privilege  of  hearing 

every  word  of  the  same,  thought  it  might  be  of 


118        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

some  use  to  those  who  did  not  hear  it,  to  say 
something  of  my  impressions  of  the  same. 

As  to  the  men,  Mr.  Daily  is  a  fine  appearing 
man,  and  speaks  with  force,  as  well  as  eloquence. 
He  impresses  one  with  the  thought  that  he  wants 
to  be  known  as  a  scholar  and  to  this  end  he  en- 
deavors to  make  it  appear  that  what  he  says  is 
not  to  be  called  in  question.  He  is  not  clear  how- 
ever in  his  statement  of  the  position  he  takes, 
nor  does  he  appear  to  get  the  force  of  his  oppo- 
nent's arguments.  He  frequently  misquotes,  as 
well  as  misapplies  the  argument  of  his  opponent. 
He  does  not  seem  to  care  for  the  rules  of  con- 
troversy, as  he  did  not,  in  this  discussion,  at- 
tempt to  define  his  position  at  any  time.  His 
affimative  speeches  were  delivered  principally 
from  manuscript  which  he  read  quite  well. 

Brother  Throgmorton  on  the  other  hand  is 
clear  in  statement,  quick  to  comprehend  an 
argument,  logical  from  first  to  last.  He  does  not 
deal  in  sophistry,  but  from  the  start  goes  to  the 
question  in  debate  telling  what  he  means  by  each 
term  in  the  proposition  that  all  may  know  what 
the  point  at  issue  is.. 

Mr.  Daily  in  this  debate  gave  more  time  to 
what  was  not  in  the  questions  being  debated  than 
he  did  to  the  questions  under  consideration.  It 
appeared  to  me  that  he  was  not  satisfied  with 
the  questions  as  stated.  It  frequently  occurred 
that  he  would  state  what  ought  to  have  been  the 
question  instead  of  trying  to  prove  his  position. 
Yet  he  had  signed  both  propositions  as  satisfac- 


FIFTY  DEBATES  119 

tory  and  spent  four  days  trying  to  make  the 
people  believe  that  he  should  have  been  allowed 
to  discuss  something  else.  It  frequently  seemed 
he  made  statements  that  would  involve  him  in  the 
most  absurd  positions. 

As  to  the  arguments  on  each  side  it  was  in  my 
judgment  one  of  the  greatest  victories  for  the 
position  held  by  Brother  Throgmorton  that  could 
have  been  gained.  Some  of  the  positions  taken  by 
Mr.  Daily  were  that  the  Gospel  was  to  call  out 
those  for  whom  Christ  died,  and  to  make  known 
to  them  the  fact  that  they  were  God's  children  by 
exciting  in  them  a  conviction  for  sin  and  making 
them  know  that  they  were  vile  sinners,  while 
at  the  same  time  they  were  really  born  of  God 
and  the  elect  of  God. 

Brother  Throgmorton  showed  that  if  this  was 
the  case  that  the  Holy  Spirit  made  them  believe 
a  lie,  to  which  Daily  did  not  reply.  I  wish  that  all 
of  our  Baptist  people  could  have  heard  this  dis- 
cussion for  themselves  as  I  did. 

I  suppose  that  the  arguments  will  come  out 
in  book  form  in  the  near  future,  so  that  all  will 
see  for  themselves.  Get  the  book  and  read  it 
carefully  and  you  will  see  that  the  old  gospel 
will  always  stand  the  test  of  controversy.  We 
need  not  be  afraid  to  have  the  test  made  from 
any  point  of  view.  Those  who  think  religious  con- 
troversy is  a  bad  thing  will  see  that  they  are  mis- 
taken I  think.  I  wish  that  questions  of  this  kind 
could  be  discussed  frequently  before  the  people, 


120    BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

that  they  might  have  both  sides  and  decide  for 
themselves. 

The  Marion  Debate. 

(From  the  Illinois  Baptist,  August  5, 1911) 

If  we  do  not  miscount,  this  is  the  forty-ninth 
public  oral  discussion  in  which  we  have  been  one 
of  the  principals.  For  the  sake  of  having  the 
record  in  print  and  that  it  may  be  kept,  we  give 
a  list  of  the  men  with  whom  we  have  debated  and 
the  number  of  discussions  with  each,  and  the  de- 
nominational affiliation  of  each : 

Seventh  Day  Baptist, — Robert  Lewis  (2). 
Total,  2. 

Methodist,— H.  M.  Pender  (1);  C.  M.  Cagle 
(1);  Rogers   (1).  Total,  3. 

Presbyterian,— R.  P.  Mitchell  (1) ; Wiley 

(1);  Total,  2. 

Universalist, — John  Hughes  (3).     Total,     3. 

Christadelphian, — Thomas  Williams  (1).  To- 
tal, 1. 

Seventh  Day  Adventist, Rees  (1) ;  To- 
tal, 1. 

General  Baptist,— T.  A.  H.  Laslie  (1).  Total, 
1. 

Mormon, — Isaac  Smith  (1).  Total,  1. 

Disciple, — W.  H.  Boles  (1) ;  Matthew  Wilson 
(1;)  Wright  Williams  (1);  W.  L.  Crim  (4); 
—Stone  (1);  W.  T.  Mason  (1);  W.  L.  Butler 
(1);  George  Tate  (1);  J.  C.  Stark  (2);  J.  F. 
James  (1);  — Blaylock  (1);  James  Hill  (1) ; 
J.  A.  Harding  (2) ;  U.  M.  Browder  (2) ;  J.  C. 
Creal  (1) ;  C.  M.  Wilmoth  1) ;  J.  T.  Hinds  (1) ; 


FIFTY  DEBATES  121 

G.  B.  Hancock  (1)  ;  Marion  Boles  (1)  ;  J.  B. 
Briney  (2)  ;  T.  S.  Hutson  (1).  Total  28. 

Old  School  Baptist, — Lemuel  Potter  (2)  ; — 
Dalton  (1) ;  S.  F.  Cayce  (2) ;  J.  B.  Denton  (1)  ; 
John  R.  Daily  (1).  Total  7. 

In  a  few  cases  we  are  sorry  we  have  not  been 
able  to  give  initials  of  names. 

Total  number  of  debates  held,  FORTY- 
NINE. 

Of  these  discussions  three  were  held  in  Ark- 
ansas; four  in  Kentucky;  six  in  Missouri,  and 
one  in  Indiana.  The  remaining  thirty-five  were 
held  in  Illinois. 

We  hope  to  live  and  see  yet  many  good  days. 
Life  is  full  of  good  things  and  we  have  reason 
to  expect  still  better  things  in  this  world  than 
have  yet  come  to  us  so  far.  We  hope  on  suitable 
occasion  to  have  one  more  public  discussion  so 
as  to  round  out  the  fiftieth.  After  that,  so  far  as 
we  can  see,  we  are  willing  to  leave  joint  oral  de- 
bates to  "the  boys."  We  have  several  of  them  who 
are  growing  in  strength  year  by  year.  (This  wish 
of  his  was  gratified  at  Ewing,  August  13,  1912, 
when  he  debated  the  second  time  with  John  R. 
Daily,  Old  School  Baptist.  The  debate  was  pub- 
lished in  book  form. ) 


CHAPTER  X. 

INCIDENTS,  ANECDOTES,  TRIBUTES,  ES- 
TIMATIONS,  IMPRESSIONS   AND   RE- 
MEMBRANCES GATHERED  FROM 
VARIOUS  SOURCES. 

The  anecdotes,  incidents  and  tributes  in 
this  chapter  about  Dr.  Throgmorton  could  have 
been  multiplied  many  fold.  Only  such  as  furnish- 
ed a  special  view  of  his  life  were  selected.  He  has 
been  the  means  of  assisting  scores  of  young  men 
in  preparing  for  the  ministry,  but  the  cases  se- 
lected show  how  he  judged  men.  When  he  helped 
a  young  minister  he  usually  succeeded.  His  life 
is  woven  into  the  texture  of  his  section  until  any 
place  can  reproduce  many  incidents  which  re- 
veal his  character. 

"Twit  Fool." 

The  following  incident  is  supplied  by  Mr.  O. 
R.  Morgan  of  Vienna.  It  occurred  at  the  time  Dr. 
Throgmorton  was  christened,  when  he  was  two 
years  old.  On  that  very  day  he  was  taken  by  his 
mother  to  a  Methodist  meeting  in  the  home  of  her 
uncle  David  Mac  Swain,  to  be  sprinkled.  When 
the  Methodist  minister  sprinkled  the  water  on  his 
baby  head,  he  cried  out,  "Twit  fool,  twit  fool." 
"Early  Childhood  Change." 

When  he  was  nine  or  ten  years  old  the  Smith 
boys  and  he  would  play  out  on  the  creek  almost 
all  day  on  Sundays.  He  got  in  the  habit  of  using 
language  that  was  unbecoming  to  the  manly  life, 
and  he  was  convicted  that  it  was  wrong.  He  had 

122 


INCIDENTS,   ANECDOTES,   TRIBUTES  123 

been  much  interested  in  reading  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, and  at  length  one  Sunday  afternoon  he 
slowly  decided  to  quit  the  use  of  bad  words  for- 
ever, and  that  he  would  never  permit  any  lan- 
guage to  go  from  his  lips  that  could  not  be  used 
in  the  presence  of  his  mother.  He  dated  his 
"great  change"  from  this  occasion. 
Phrenologist  Scott. 

Once  while  he  was  teaching  school  at  Pleas- 
ant Hill  in  Grassy  Precinct,  a  blind  man  by  the 
name  of  John  Scott  visited  the  school.  He  was  a 
Phrenologist  and  read  the  scholars  heads,  telling 
them  what  they  would  become  in  life. 

When  he  got  hold  of  the  teacher's  head,  it  was 
large,  so  powerfully  moulded,  and  so  impresive 
in  its  shape,  that  he  exclaimed,  "This  is  not  a 
school  teacher  in  a  country  district;  this  is  a 
United  States  Senator."  The  incident  was  long 
remembered  by  the  pupils.  It  was  a  pleasant  pre- 
diction of  his  greatness. 

Playing  Marbles. 

Dow  Martin,  who  grew  up  in  Grassy  Pre- 
cinct, and  went  to  school  to  Dr.  Throgmorton,  re- 
lates this  incident.  He  and  his  younger  brother 
were  left  at  home  on  a  Saturday  to  split  up  a 
stack  of  stovewood,  while  their  father  and  mother 
were  away  at  Anna  for  the  day.  They  were  doing 
well  until  their  teacher,  Mr.  Throgmorton,  came 
by  with  a  satchel  of  books  on  his  arm  and  banter- 
ed them  for  a  game  of  marbles. 

They  played  marbles  till  4  o'clock  and  then 
he  plunged  in  with  an  axe  to  help  them  make  up 


124        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

for  lost  time.  First  lick  out  he  broke  a  handle, 
and  for  this  he  left  them  twenty-five  cents,  and 
taking  up  the  other  axe  he  soon  had  a  pile  of 
stovewood  much  larger  than  they  could  possibly 
have  had  without  their  game  of  marbles.  In  this 
way  he  won  the  righ  regard  of  the  boys,  and  made 
them  his  lasting  friends.  Those  who  have  known 
the  Doctor  the  longest  have  loved  him  the  strong- 
est. 

Recess  at  School. 

He  taught  several  terms  of  school  during  his 
young  manhood  and  always  he  was  as  often  on 
the  playground  as  the  pupils.  It  was  his  delighf 
to  have  fun  with  them. 

While  he  was  a  great  big  giant  without  any 
meat,  and  could  seldom  get  clothes  to  fit  his  un- 
common body,  yet  it  never  held  him  back  from 
play,  even  if  he  tore  his  coat,  split  his  pants, 
broke  his  suspenders,  and  skinned  his  shins. 

F.  M.  Wright  of  Creal  Springs  was  also  a 
pupil  of  Dr.  Throgmorton's  in  1868-69,  and  he 
gives  an  account  of  the  way  the  Doctor  joked  his 
pupils. 

The  old  time  treat  was  customary  on  Christ- 
mas, and  he  told  them  that  he  was  not  intending 
to  treat  them  that  time.  They  were  up  in  arms 
about  it.  To  get  them  in  a  good  humor,  he  let 
them  take  off  his  suspenders  and  tie  him.  It  was 
easy  to  break  the  bands  that  bound  him,  but  his 
scholars  were  tickled  over  it. 


INCIDENTS,   ANECDOTES,    TRIBUTES  125 

Memorizing  Scriptures. 

F.  M.  Wright  also  states  that  the  Doctor 
trained  his  pupils  to  memorize  the  Scriptures. 
They  would  memorize  chapters  of  books  of  the 
Bible  and  repeat  them  to  one  another.  Always 
he  entered  into  the  contest  and  led  the  way.  The 
Doctor  could  repeat  Matthew,  Mark,  Acts,  Eo- 
mans,  James,  First  and  Second  Peter,  and 
First,  Second  and  Third  John.  In  this  man- 
ner he  trained  his  remarkable  memory  for  its  fu- 
ture work.    He  knew  the  Scriptures. 

Riding  a  Wagon  over  the  Ozarks. 

Years  ago  Dr.  Throgmorton  and  Uncle  Bobbie 
Link  were  driven  over  the  Ozarks  on  a  campaign 
tour  by  James  W.  Heaton.  Uncle  Bobbie  was 
making  the  race  for  the  Legislature  on  the  Pro- 
hibition ticket.  Dr.  Throgmorton  was  making 
speeches  for  him,  and  Uncle  Jim  was  the  "under- 
striker."  Uncle  Jim's  team  was  a  large  gray  mare 
and  a  small  stout  bay  mule.  They  fairly  flew  over 
the  ground  in  getting  from  one  place  to  another. 
As  they  bumped  over  those  rough  roads  Uncle 
Bobbie  would  remark  between  high  jolts ;  "Well, 
it  seems  that  the  worr>e  the  roads  the  faster  we 
go!"  And  with  that  Uncle  Jim  would  give  his 
old  gray  mare  a  rap  with  the  lines  and  away 
they  would  fly  like  boys  on  a  frolic. 

Sapling  stops  His  Ox  Wagon. 

Dr.  Throgmorton  bought  a  forty  acre  farm 
in  Grassy  Precinct.  East  of  the  house  was  a  deep 
valley,  and  the  down  hill  to  it  was  steep.  Once 
he  borrowed  a  wagon  and  an  ox     team     from 


126        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

"Uncle"  Jim  Sanders  with  which  to  do  some  haul- 
ing and  came  across  this  valley  with  them.  The 
oxen  became  unruly,  having  a  new  hand  to  drive 
them,  ran  away  and  hung  up  on  a  sapling.  He 
hallooed  for  his  wife  to  bring  an  axe.  She  came 
with  it  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  when  she  saw 
the  fix  he  was  in,  it  was  impossible  for  her  to 
restrain  her  laughter. 

Seeing  that  she  was  enjoying  the  situation 
too  much,  he  exclaimed,  as  he  waved  his  hand; 
"Go  back  to  the  house;  don't  come  down  here; 
no  telling  what  I'm  going  to  do."  He  did,  in  fact, 
cut  the  sapling  down,  released  the  wagon  and 
drove  the  load  of  poles  home.  But  a  man  does  not 
know  what  he  might  do  in  such  a  case.  It  is  as 
bad  as  plowing  a  pair  of  mules  in  new  ground. 
"Thirteen  Feet  High/' 

He  taught  two  terms  at  Welburn  school  house 
near  Creal  Springs.  One  day  he  was  trying  to  get 
a  large  class  of  youngsters  to  judge  of  the  length 
of  a  foot.  He  showed  them  how  long  it  was.  He 
had  them  to  guess  at  the  length  of  a  number  of 
things.  Then  he  stood  up  before  them  and  asked 
an  over  grown  boy  to  tell  how  high  he  looked. 
The  boy  eyed  him  up  and  down,  and  replied, 
"About  thirteen  feet !"  It  was  a  stunning  moment. 
It  showed  the  effect  of  his  great  height  on  the 
boy's  imagination. 

In  a  Barber's  Chair. 

Wherever  Dr.  Throgmorton  goes  he  is  looked 
up  to.  As  he  passes  down  the  street  of  a  town 
that  is  unused  to  seeing  him,  people  stare  at 


INCIDENTS,  ANECDOTES,  TRIBUTES  127 

hiin  and  crane  their  necks  to  get  a  good  view 
of  him.  In  the  fall  of  1916  he  stopped  off  in  Flora 
between  trains  and  went  into  a  barber  shop  to  get 
shaved.  There  were  three  chairs  in  the  shop  and 
he  took  the  one  fartherest  from  the  door.  After 
coming  out,  and  returning  to  the  depot  he  was 
followed  by  the  barber  next  to  the  door  who  had 
made  a  wager  with  the  other  two  that  his  guess 
of  Dr.  T's  weight  and  height  would  be  closer 
than  the  other  two.  When  he  came  into  the  depot 
he  said,  "Pardon  me,  but  how  much  do  you  weigh 
and  how  tall  are  you?"  Dr.  T.  replied,  "My  fight- 
ing weight  is  260  pounds  and  my  height  is  a  frac- 
tion over  6  feet  and  4  inches."  The  barber  popped 
his  fists  together  and  exclaimed,  "I've  got  'em 
on  both  points!" 

His  Influence  On  A  Crowd. 

His  commanding  height,  his  self-possessed  de- 
meanor, his  authoritative  manner,  his  positive 
conviction,  and  his  natural  simplicity  make  him 
listened  to  with  attention  by  all  men.  While 
those  who  admire  him  follow  his  every  word  with 
bated  breath.  His  long  time  standing  in  his  sec- 
tion of  the  land,  his  fifty  debates  wherein  he  has 
demonstrated  his  superiority  over  his  many  op- 
ponents, and  his  almost  thirty  years  as  editor, 
give  him  a  long  reach  wherever  he  goes.  His  word 
is  respected  as  law  and  gospel.  What  he  says 
is  almost  final.  It  shows  the  power  of  a  person- 
ality in  securing  results. 


128        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

How  Bro.  Rodman  teas  Pushed  Out  to  Preach 
It  was  Dr.  Throgmorton  who  did  it  and  it 
happened  in  this  way.  While  Dr.  Throgmorton 
was  pastor  at  Benton  they  had  quarterly  Sunday 
School  concerts.  Book  of  Kings  was  assigned 
for  one  concert,  and  Brother  Ben  was  assigned 
King  Asa  for  his  paper. 

He  took  the  Bible  and  the  Baptist  Teacher 
and  wrote  out  as  complete  a  history  of  King  Asa 
as  he  could  and  memorized  it.  The  house  was 
packed  with  people,  faces  towards  him,  and  they 
listened  while  he  spoke  it. 

When  he  had  finished,  he  sat  down  by  Dr. 
Throgmorton,  who  said  to  him,  "Why  can't  you 
talk  that  way  about  Jesus?"  And  he  kept  after 
him  until  he  promised  to  preach.  After  that  he 
ordained  him,  and  thus  he  was  started  in  the 
ministry.  Bro.  Rodman  has  been  one  of  Dr. 
Throgmorton's  most  faithful  co-workers,  and  is 
one  of  the  state's  noblest  men. 

R.  W.  Lee's  First  Impressions  of  the  Big 
Preacher. 

First  time  he  saw  Dr.  T.  was  thirty-four  years 
ago.  In  1883  the  Franklin  association  met  at  Mt. 
Pleasant  and  Brother  Lee  went.  He  was  just  be- 
ginning the  ministry,  and  he  said  he  did  not  know 
how  he  would  act  in  the  presence  of  that  big 
preacher,  whose  reputation  had  spread  abroad  in 
the  land,  and  who  had  come  out  from  Benton. 

Old  Franklin  had  been  doing  little  along 
the  line  of  missions.  Dr.  T.  led  the  discussion 
for  an  associational  missionary,  and  later  he  and 


INCIDENTS,  ANECDOTES,  TRIBUTES  129 

R.  W.  Lee  and  W.  L.  Payne  were  appointed  as  a 
board  to  employ  one. 

When  the  hour  for  noon  dismission  arrived 
Dr.  T.  arose  and  asked  for  that  young  Brother 
Lee.  When  he  was  pointed  out  he  walked  down 
the  aisle  and  taking  his  hand,  placed  his  arm 
around  him  and  said,  "We  are  yoke  fellows.  Let 
us  go  out  here  and  sit  down  on  a  log  and  do 
something."  Bro.  Lee  says  that  in  a  few  minutes 
he  felt  perfectly  at  home  with  him,  and  in  a  short 
time  they  had  agreed  on  employing  a  missionary. 
They  decided  on  Bro.  W.  EL  Carner  but  he  could 
not  get  away  from  McLeansboro  at  that  time. 

Later  the  Board  met  and  Dr.  T.,  said,  "We've 
got  a  preacher  working  here  at  Benton  in  a 
flour  mill,  and  we  will  take  him  out  and  make 
him  a  missionary."  That  was  Brother  Ben  Rod- 
man and  he  has  been  a  missionary  worker  in  one 
position  and  another  from  then  till  now.  The  date 
of  his  employment  by  the  Franklin  Association 
Mission  Board  was  Oct.  23,  1883. 

August  1869. 
Near  Ozark  is  the  old  Robinson  burying 
ground.  Here  in  August  1869,  Dr.  T.  was  pres- 
ent at  the  burial  of  Elder  J.  L.  Morton's  first 
wife,  and  just  at  the  time  of  the  lowering  of  the 
body  into  the  grave,  the  almost  total  esclipse  of 
the  sun  for  which  that  year  is  noted,  occurred. 
At  the  same  hour,  in  another  state,  Brother  Dan- 
bury  was  asking  his  sweetheart  to  become  his 
wife.    The  eclipse  was  an  event  by  which  such  a 


130        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

strange  coincidence  as  a  marriage  and  a  funeral 
were  recorded. 

A  Baptismal  Incident. 

At  Mt.  Vernon  in  the  summer  of  1888  he  had 
a  great  revival  meeting  in  which  there  were  more 
than  100  converts.  On  a  certain  Sunday  he  bap- 
tized 45  persons  in  a  stream  near  by.  Baptizing 
the  candidates  he  would  quote  an  appropriate 
scripture  as  they  came  up  out  of  the  water.  Com- 
ing out  with  one  lady  he  quoted,  "And  Jesus 
when  he  was  baptized  went  up  straightway  out 
of  the  water,"  etc.  The  sister  rapturously  clap- 
ped her  hands  and  loudly  cried,  "You  bet  he 
did."  About  2,000  people  were  in  easy  hearing 
and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  they  were  visibly 
affected  by  the  sister's  odd  speech. 

J.  D.  Hooker's  Loving  Remembrance. 

I  want  to  offer  a  word,  if  it  were  my  last 
word,  even  a  feeble  word,  of  appreciation  of  one 
of  the  best  friends  of  my  heart  and  life. 

In  the  long  ago,  when  I  was  younger,  I  was 
so  anxious  to  attend  school  and  prepare  myself 
for  life's  great  tasks,  but  so  poor,  I  was  not  able 
to  cut  loose  from  other  ties  and  launch  out  in 
preparation  for  life's  future  work.  I  had  a  family 
and  I  must  provide  for  it.  How  to  do  it  and  be  in 
school  too,  was  such  a  hard  question  for  me  to 
solve.  I  have  often  thought  our  folks  were  the 
poorest  folks  that  ever  were  folks,  but  I  sup- 
pose its  honorable  to  be  poor. 

In  these  years  of  long  ago  when  I  was  so 
hungry  to  go  to  school  and  so  anxious  to  pre- 


INCIDENTS,  ANECDOTES,  TRIBUTES  131 

pare  myself,  I  was  almost  in  despair  when  my 
dearest  and  best  friend,  Dr.  William  Pinckney 
Throgmorton,  came  to  me  and  said,  "You  go  to 
school  and  I  will  stand  by  you  for  $75.00  a  year 
and  if  I  do  not  get  it  from  others  for  you,  I  will 
pay  it  myself."  I  went  and  I  want  to  tell  your 
readers  that  Dr.  Throgmorton  has  been  to  me 
more  than  any  living  man! 

Bro.  Kobert  M^ick  used  to  send  a  check  to 
Bro.  Throgmorton  for  me  once  a  year.  How  large 
that  check  did  look  to  me !  God  knows  how  I  did 
and  do  appreciate  his  kindness  and  the  kindness 
of  others.  I  will  never  forget  his  help  to  me. 

Bro.  Throgmorton's  life  has  come  into  my 
life  so  that  I  have  become  a  part  of  him.  It  is 
true  it  is  only  a  small  part  of  him,  but  I  am 
glad  of  the  part.  My  life  has  been  small  enough 
as  it  is,  but  God  alone  knows  how  very  small  and 
feeble  it  would  have  been  had  it  not  been  for  Dr. 
Throgmorton.  May  he  live  many  years  longer  to 
hold  up  the  banner  of  Jesus  and  when  at  the  last, 
his  body  grows  weary,  his  eyes  dim,  his  limbs 
feeble  and  the  call  of  promotion  shall  come,  he 
will  have  the  blessed  consolation  of  knowing  that 
he  has  helped  many  a  boy  and  young  man  to 
make  his  life  better  and  help  the  world  to  be 
better  because  he  lived  in  it.  God  bless  him.  I 
shall  always  cherish  his  memory  for  he  has  been 
more  to  me  than  anyone  in  all  the  wide,  wide 
WOrld.  J-  D.  Hooker. 


132   BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

Tribute  of  Dr.  F.  M.  Agnew. 
Dr.  F.  M.  Agnew,  minister  and  M.  D.,  of  Ma- 
kanda,  111.,  has  known  Dr.  Throgrnorton  for  al- 
most fifty  years.  Dr.  Agnew  bears  the  denomina- 
tional distinction  of  having  served  as  Clerk  of 
Clear  Creek  Association  fifty-two  consecutive 
years.  It  is  believed  that  this  is  the  longest  ser- 
vice of  the  kind  on  record.  In  a  private  letter 
ordering  a  set  of  the  author's  books,  he  remarks : 

"J.  E.  Graves,  J.  B.  Moody  and  W.  P.  Throg- 
rnorton have  been  my  Baptist  Tri-umvirate,  not 
as  to  government,  but  as  to  advice  and  direction 
in  Scriptural  and  Theological  subjects,  and  they 
are  named  in  that  order,  because  it  is  the  order 
of  occurence  in  time  but  if  you  wish  to  trans- 
pose them  I  have  no  serious  objections.  I  regard 
Brother  Throgrnorton  as  the  peer  of  either  of  the 
others,  and  as  they  never  had  to  face  the  trials 
of  faith  and  the  organization  of  a  new  associa- 
tion as  he,  I  am  disposed  to  doubt  that  they  would 
have  succeeded  as  well  as  he.  He  has  also  shown 
the  spirit  of  his  Master  in  that  "when  he  was  re- 
viled he  reviled  not  again." 

Appreciation  by  Rev.  H.  A.  Smoot,  D.  D. 

Pastor  First  Baptist  Church. 

Fre&ericktown,  Missouri. 

I  am  glad  to  write  a  word  of  appreciation  for 
what  Dr.  Throgrnorton  has  done  for  me.  Dr. 
Throgrnorton  heard  me  preach  one  night  at  a 
Baptist  associational  meeting  in  Southern  Illi- 
nois. 


INCIDENTS,  ANECDOTES,  TRIBUTES  133 

The  next  morning  he  came  to  me  and  asked 
me  if  I  had  any  plans  about  going  to  college.  I 
replied,  that  I  was  making  my  plans  to  go  to 
Ewing  college.  He  asked  when  I  expected  to 
enter  the  school  there.  I  replied,  either  the  follow- 
ing winter  or  spring  term  of  school.  I  said  as  soon 
as  I  can  get  enough  money  ahead  I  expect  to  en- 
ter. He  said,  if  you  were  helped  financially  could 
you  arrange  to  start  for  Ewing  next  week  and  be 
there  for  the  opening  of  the  fall  term.  I  said  yes, 
and  the  arrangements  were  made. 

At  this  time  I  was  twenty  years  old.  I  enter- 
ed Ewing  College  at  the  beginning  of  the  fall 
term  and  started  with  the  work  as  laid  down  in 
the  catalogue  for  the  A.  B.  degree.  I  took  the 
work  laid  down  in  the  catalogue  term  after  term, 
year  after  year,  and  at  the  close  of  my  sixth 
year  I  received  my  A.  B.  degree.  During  my  first 
year  in  school  Dr.  Throgmorton  helped  me  to  the 
extent  of  $100.00.  After  the  first  year  I  served  as 
pastor  of  churches,  preaching  every  Sunday  the 
other  five  years  I  was  in  college.  After  the  first 
year  my  churches  paid  me  a  sufficient  amount  to 
pay  all  my  expenses  in  school. 

The  $100.00  given  me  the  first  year  by  Dr. 
Throgmorton  was  a  great  help  to  me  and  gave 
me  a  good  start,  that  made  it  possible  for  me  to 
obtain  work  as  pastor  with  the  churches,  which 
enabled  me  to  finish  my  college  course.  I  have 
always  counted  Dr.  Throgmorton  as  one  of  my 
warmest  and  best  friends  on  earth. 


134        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

I  offered  to  pay  back  the  f  100.00  to  Dr. 
Throgmorton,  but  he  said :  "No,  but  if  you  ever 
find  an  opportunity  to  help  some  one  as  I  have 
helped  you  that  will  be  all  right."  I  am 
glad  to  say  that  it  has  been  a  pleasure  for  me  to 
help  others  to  obtain  an  education.  I  have 
known  of  Dr.  Throgmorton  helping  several 
others  in  school  as  he  helped  me. 

As  pastor,  editor  and  friend  of  education,  no 
man  has  ever  done  as  much  for  Southern  Illinois 
Baptists  as  Dr.  W.  P.  Throgmorton.  His  work 
in  Southern  Illinois  will  be  a  monument  to  him 
and  his  memory  for  centuries  to  come.  I  pray 
that  our  Heavenly  Father  will  give  him  many 
more  useful  and  happy  years  on  this  earth  and 
then  I  feel  sure  that  he  will  have  a  great  reward 
in  heaven. 

Tribute  of  G.  W.  Allison,  Pastor  First  Baptist 
Church,  E.  St.  Louis. 

In  a  great  brotherhood  like  our  denomina- 
tion, especially  amongst  the  preachers,  there 
grow  up  strong  bonds  of  friendship.  As  one  re- 
flects upon  the  whole,  all  of  whom  he  loves,  and 
yearns  for  their  success,  there  are  some  whose 
faces  stand  out  more  clearly  than  others.  This 
is  a  very  natural  thing.  Intimate  association 
and  similarity  of  view  and  taste  are  factors  that 
inevitably  weave  men  soul  to  soul  in  strong  bonds 
of  love  and  friendship.  "Birds  of  a  feather  flock 
together,"  and  so  it  ever  is,  men  of  like  senti- 
ments naturally  associate  together.  I  do  not 
say  this  inferring  that  I  feel  myself,  the  equal  of 


INCIDENTS,  ANECDOTES,  TRIBUTES  135 

the  man  of  whom  I  write  this  little  sketch.  But  I 
do  know  that  despite  the  gulf  between  our  ages, 
separated  as  we  are  by  more  than  thirty  years, 
there  never  was  from  me  a  moment  of  strained 
or  forced  association.  Never  have  I  enjoyed  the. 
association  and  fellowship  of  a  younger  man 
more  than  I  did  the  pleasant  memories  of  close 
association  with  Dr.  W.  P.  Throgmorton.  So 
free  and  harmonious  was  our  fellowship  that  to 
me  there  never  came  the  thought  of  any  differ- 
ences whatever.  Never  did  I  tire  or  wish  for 
more  pleasant  and  sympathetic  associations. 
Few  friends  have  meant  so  much  to  me  and  none 
have  meant  more. 

I  never  could  forget  the  first  time  I  met  Dr. 
Throgmorton.  It  was  at  the  Mobile  and  Ohio 
depot  on  the  station  platform  at  Jonesboro.  We 
were  on  our  way  to  the  Clear  Creek  Association 
which  met  that  year  at  Mill  Creek.  I  had  heard 
much  of  the  man  but  nothing  from  any  friendly 
source.  The  opinion  I  had  of  him  was  so  much 
in  contrast  to  what  I  found  him  to  be.  This  day 
of  which  I  speak,  he  was  seated  upon  a  baggage 
truck  doing  some  writing  in  a  tablet.  I  at  that 
time  was  working  the  field  in  the  interest  of  Ew- 
ing  College.  With  two  heavy  grips  I  came  up  to 
the  place  where  he  was  sitting.  "Hello,  there!" 
came  the  hearty  and  genial  greeting.  "Who  is 
this?"  I  told  him  and  he  answered  by  saying 
that  he  had  heard  of  me  and  was  glad  to  hear  of 
some  good  work  that  I  had  been  in  at  the  college. 
This  reference  was  to  a  large  number  who  had 


13  6        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

been  led  to  Christ  during  that  previous  fall  and 
winter.  The  next  word  he  said  was  put  in  a 
question:  "Do  you  feel  called  of  God  to  preach?" 
I  answered  that  I  did.  Immediately  he  followed 
with  this  question:  "Do  you  feel  like  Paul  said 
he  felt,  'Woe  is  me  if  I  preach  not  the  gospel'?" 
Again  I  answered  that  I  did.  My  heart  was  stir- 
red for  he  had  touched  the  one  thing  which  to 
me  was  the  dearest  treasured  wish  of  my  soul. 
And  to  deepen  the  impression  in  my  soul  he  held 
out  that  big  hand  cf  his  as  he  said:  "Well,  shake 
again,  for  that  is  just  the  way  I  feel  about  it." 
And  closed  by  saying:  "My  name  is  Throgmor- 
ton."  From  that  hour  on  we  were  the  closest 
of  friends,  and  feelings  sprung  up  in  my  heart 
which  never  have  diminished  but  rather  grown 
stronger  and  stronger.  He  entered  into  a  dis- 
cussion of  my  plans  for  going  to  school,  and  be- 
fore I  was  aware  of  what  I  was  doing  I  had  laid 
my  whole  heart  bare  as  to  my  ambitions  and  he 
had  gotten  me  to  tell  him  all  about  myself.  He 
looked  at  me  and  continued:  "I  go  a  great  deal 
on  first  impressions  and  somehow  I  just  believe 
in  you.  If  you  don't  mind  I  will  send  you  each 
month  $5.00  to  help  defray  your  expenses."  I 
told  him  I  did  not  know  how  or  when  I  could 
ever  repay  him,  but  he  would  not  listen.  He  said : 
"Never  you  mind.  I  take  a  delight  in  doing  this 
sort  of  thing  for  young  fellows  every  now  and 
then.  And  all  you  have  to  do  to  repay  me  is  just 
to  go  and  make  good."    And  each  month  that  I 


INCIDENTS,   ANECDOTES,   TRIBUTES  137 

was  in  college  after  that  time  with  the  regular- 
ity of  the  calendar  came  a  check  for  $5.00. 

From  this  time  on  the  man  became  a  friend 
and  brother.  It  seemed  that  we  had  always 
known  each  other.  And  it  was  my  great  pleasure 
to  go  as  the  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  church 
of  Marion,  the  first  church  I  served  full  time.  To 
have  him  as  a  member  of  that  church  and  a  con- 
stant companion  meant  much  to  me.  He  was 
studious,  benevolent,  consecrated  and  loyal  in 
his  habits.  Upon  leaving  college  of  course  I  was 
anxious  to  carry  on  my  study.  In  this  he  en- 
couraged me  and  helped  me  no  little  in  turning 
me  loose  in  his  library  and  suggesting  valuable 
lines  to  pursue.  In  the  three  and  one-half  years 
that  we  were  associated  together,  and  it  was  an 
every  day  association,  not  once  did  we  cross 
each  other.  Never  did  he  criticise  my  work  or 
methods.  He  was  always  encouraging  me  and 
holding  me  up  before  the  people  It  was  in  him 
that  I  saw  the  truth  of  the  statement:  That 
strong  character  is  the  result  of  strong  convic- 
tion. Such  a  man  is  a  wonderful  blessing  to  a 
young  preacher  just  beginning  to  get  his  bear- 
ings. I  felt  as  easy  in  his  presence  in  my  congre- 
gations from  the  first  time  he  heard  me  as  if  he 
were  my  own  kinsman.  Never  did  his  presence 
or  attitude  do  otherwise  than  bless  and  encourage 
me.  When  the  question  of  the  new  church  build- 
ing came  up  he  was  with  me  and  for  me.  He  ac- 
cepted the  plans  and  worked  with  me  as  if  the 


138        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

whole  thing  was  his  own  proposition.     No  man 
did  more  physically,  spiritually  or  financially. 

I  had  the  chance  to  see  him  contrasted  with 
other  men.  Many  who  bitterly  opposed  him  be- 
cause of  his  firm  stand  for  his  convictions  con- 
cerning the  Baptist  position  to  my  certain 
knowledge  have  greatly  misunderstood  him.  It 
has  often  been  said  that  he  constantly  agitated 
the  divided  situations  in  the  state.  Of  such  a 
single  case  I  do  not  know.  I  know  of  cases 
where  he  could  have  so  done  but  did  not. 

I  know  him  as  one  of  the  biggest  and  best 
men  that  it  has  ever  been  my  privilege  to  meet. 
May  the  Father  increase  his  tribe.  Often  in  the 
midst  of  his  struggles  and  toils  I  have  seen  him 
as  Goldsmith's  words  depict  the  preacher : 
"As  some  tall  cliff  that  lifts  its  awful  form, 
Swells  from  the  vale    and  midway    leaves    the 

storm, 
Tho'  round  its  breast  the    rolling    clouds    are 

spread, 
Eternal  sunshine  settles  on  its  head." 


PART  II 


ADDRESSES,  SERMONS,  EDITORIALS, 

SKETCHES,  DOCTRINAL 

DISCOURSES. 


Mrs.  W.  P.  Throgmorton 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  CHARACTER  SKETCH— DEACON  J.  W. 
HEATON  OF  NEW  BURNSIDE. 

(Copied  From  Illinois  Baptist,  May  18,  1912) 

The  other  week  our  old  friend,  Deacon  J.  W. 
Heaton  of  New  Burnside,  111.,  made  us  a  brief 
visit.  He  is  a  man  whom  we  are  always  glad  to 
see,  and  the  sight  of  him  wakes  up  stirring  and 
pleasing  memories  of  the  past. 

We  have  known  him  since  our  boyhood.  The 
first  time  we  ever  met  him — to  form  his  acquain- 
tance was  at  his  hospitable  home  in  Johnson 
county  about  August,  1868,  near  where  the  town 
of  New  Burnside  now  flourishes.  We  had  seen 
him  a  time  or  two  before  this  but  did  not  get  ac- 
quainted. He  was  then  a  man  of  about  thirty- 
five  years  of  age,  full  of  energy  and  full  of  af- 
fairs. He  was  a  large  farmer  for  that  section 
and  quite  a  stock  man.  In  everything  he  was  a 
hustler  himself  and  everyone  on  the  place  had  to 
hustle  too.  No  grass  grew  under  the  feet  of 
either  his  boys  or  his  hired  men. 

The  purpose  of  our  visit  was  to  secure  the 
place  as  teacher  for  the  "Birdwell  School  Dis- 
trict," of  which  Brother  Heaton  was  a  director. 
When  we  reached  his  place  he  was  away  on  some 
business,  but  we  remember  distinctly  of  meeting 
his  wife,  his  daughter  Rettie,  and  Nat,  his  young- 
est boy.  Doubtless  we  saw  others  of  the  family 
at  the  same  time,  but  only  those  three  on  that  oc- 
casion do  we  remember. 

141 


142        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

Specially  do  we  recall  Nat — a  stolid,  inde- 
pendent sort  of  a  little  fellow,  who  was  fully  set 
to  dispute  every  inch  that  anybody  claimed  on 
him.  Kettie  was  a  fine,  quiet,  bright  little  girl 
of  about  eleven. 

Nat  is  now  a  ranchman  in  California,  and 
Rettie  (now  Mrs.  Kennedy),  lives  in  the  same 
state.  The  mother  years  ago  entered  into  her 
rest.  She  was  a  good,  Christian  woman,  devot- 
ed to  her  home,  her  husband  and  her  children. 
Blessings  on  her  memory. 

When  the  deacon  came  in  and  found  out  our 
business  he  took  to  us  at  once  and  was  soon  on 
the  way  with  us  to  meet  the  other  directors.  To 
make  the  story  short,  we  secured  the  school,  and 
were  employed  for  six  months  at  a  salary  good 
for  those  days. 

From  the  start  Brother  Heaton  adopted  us. 
He  was  our  true  friend  and  counsellor  and  help- 
ed us  out  of  many  little  difficulties  and  misun- 
derstandings, constantly  gave  us  good  advice 
and  was  truly  a  father  to  us.  With  our  young 
wife  (we  had  been  married  for  only  a  short  time) 
we  visited  in  the  Heaton  home  as  freely  as  we 
would  in  the  home  of  our  own  father  and  felt 
just  as  welcome.  It  was  truly  an  "Old  Kentucky 
Home"  (for  the  deacon  and  his  wife  are  Ken- 
tuckians)  where  there  was  no  stiffness  or  con- 
straint, and  the  visitors,  such  as  we,  at  least,  did 
not  have  to  feel  that  they  were  company. 

At  that  time  only  two  of  Bro.  Heaton's  sons 
were  old  enough  to  do  farm  work.     These  were 


A  CHARACTER  SKETCH  143 

"Brack"  (J.  C.  B.)  and  Langhorn.  The  latter 
died  in  his  early  teens  and  J.  C.  B.,  is  now  on  a 
fruit  farm  near  the  old  home  place.  He  has  made 
a  success  and  is  one  of  the  leading  horticulturists 
of  the  state.  In  fact  he  is  an  authority  where  fruit 
and  fruit  trees  are  concerned.  With  him  in  the 
same  work  is  his  younger  brother,  J.  W.  Jr.  They 
are  a  fine  pair  of  men. 

Brother  Heaton's  oldest  child  was  a  daughter, 
Mary.  She  became  Mrs.  James  Arnold,  a  good 
Christian  housewife,  and  reared  a  nice  family 
of  children.  Her  death  occurred  something  more 
than  two  years  ago.  A  much  younger  daughter, 
Effle,  is  a  successful  teacher  in  California.  All 
the  Heaton  children,  except  Nat,  who  are  living, 
are  Christians  and  Baptists  of  the  right  sort. 
They  are  true  to  their  training  and  ready  to  sup- 
port what  they  believe  in  with  their  means. 

Like  most  men  who  lead  strenuous  lives  and 
do  things,  Deacon  J.  W.  Heaton  has  and  has  had 
his  eccentricities.  None  of  them,  however,  very 
bad ;  some  of  them  extra  good.  One  has  been  this ; 
he  would  ride  through  swamps  and  over  moun- 
tains to  win  a  point,  meet  an  engagement,  serve 
a  cause  that  he  thought  was  right,  or  help  a 
friend.  Then  on  occasion  he  would  pull  on  a 
friend.  But  so  far  as  we  know,  no  friend  ever 
finally  suffered  on  his  account. 

Sometimes  in  the  midst  of  pressing  business 
cares  and  perplexities,  he  was  absent  minded. 
Once  on  a  "Big  Four"  train,  as  he  was  nearing 
the  station  at  which  he  desired  to  stop,  he  was 


144        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

busy  talking  with  some  one  that  he  did  not  notice 
and  failed  to  get  off  when  the  call  was  made.  The 
train  pulled  out  and  took  him  out  of  town.  Just 
then  he  came  to  himself,  reached  for  the  bell 
rope  and  pulled.  Of  course,  the  train  slowed  up. 
As  he  was  making  his  way  off,  the  conducter  came 
rushing  up  and  exclaimed,  "Don't  you  know  you 
can't  stop  this  train  that  way?"  "I  have  done  it," 
said  he,  as  he  jumped  off  and  started  back  to 
town.  This  was  an  index  to  his  character.  He  was 
a  man  that  could  act  in  an  emergency. 

It  is  told  of  him  that  on  another  occasion  he 
had  ridden  into  New  Burnside  and  hitched  his 
horse.  When  night  came  he  was  so  absorbed  that 
he  forgot  the  animal  and  walked  back  home,  leav- 
ing the  horse  out  all  night.  Not  often,  however, 
did  anything  alive  suffer  under  his  care.  He  be- 
longed to  that  class  of  whom  the  wise  man 
speaks,  "The  righteous  man  regardeth  the  life 
of  his  beast." 

Years  ago  one  day  when  Reynoldsburg  was 
his  nearest  post  office  and  trading  point,  he  said 
to  one  of  his  boys,  "Langhorn,  you  get  on  a  horse 
and  go  to  Reynoldsville  and  back  just  as  quick 
as  you  can."  He  had  it  in  his  mind  to  send  for 
something  important,  but  forgot  to  tell  the  boy 
what  it  was.  Langhorn,  a  chip  off  the  old  block, 
made  the  trip  and  came  back  with  nothing,  and 
was  rather  rejoiced  to  see  his  father  nonplussed. 

Men  who  concentrate  their  powers  often  do 
absent  minded  things  like  these.  Their  whole  be- 
ing is  swallowd  up  in  the  dominating  issue. 


A  CHARACTER  SKETCH  145 

Another  peculiarity  of  Bro.  Heaton  in  the 
years  of  his  greatest  activity,  was  his  ability  to 
go  to  sleep  any  moment  under  almost  any  cir- 
cumstances. Anywhere  in  the  midst  of  all  sorts 
of  noises  he  could  lie  down  and  be  off  in  slumber- 
land  by  the  time  his  eyes  were  closed.  This  was 
a  great  thing  for  him.  It  enabled  him  to  recuper- 
ate in  the  midst  of  stress  and  strain.  He  would 
awake  in  a  few  minutes  refreshed  and  ready  for 
the  fray.  We  have  read  it  somewhere  of  the  first 
Napoleon  that  he  could  go  to  sleep  at  will  amidst 
the  roar  of  battle  and  awake  completely  rejuve- 
nated in  a  little  time. 

In  his  palmiest  days  Bro.  Heaton  was  a  great 
lover  of  horses.  He  kept  some  fine  stock  and 
would  not  tolerate  an  animal  that  was  "poky." 
He  fed  well,  drove  fast  and  rode  fast.  Out  riding 
with  his  oldest  son  he  would  say,  "Ride  up, 
Bracky ;  ride  up ;  fast  riding  makes  fast  horses." 
Somehow  everything  under  his  direction  moved. 
He  could  take  a  plug  horse  and  make  him  trot  as 
if  possessed.  Riding  or  driving,  his  horses  or 
mules  had  to  go.  Even  now,  or  at  least  this  was 
the  case  a  year  ago,  Bro.  Heaton  will  get  on  a 
horse  and  ride  as  glibly  as  a  young  man.  As  soon 
as  the  horse  feels  himself  under  the  old  brother, 
he  feels  that  something  possesses  him.  The  horse- 
man's instinct  communicates  itself  to  the  horse. 

As  a  citizen,  Bro.  Heaton  has  always  stood  for 
the  best  things.  Years  ago  when  the  old  "C.  & 
V."  railroad  went  through  and  a  town  was  to  be 
established,  two  sites  were  in  the  contest.  One 


146        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

was  under  Eonian  Catholic  influence  and  would 
possibly  have  been  a  saloon  town.  The  other 
was  the  present  site  of  New  Burnside,  for  which 
Bro.  Heaton  stood,  nobly  seconded  by  his  friend 
Captain  Mark  Whiteaker.  They  won  out  and  es- 
tablished the  town  on  a  no-saloon  basis.  The 
deed  to  every  lot  sold  had  in  it  a  special  prohibi- 
tory clause  providing  that  it  should  never  be  used 
for  saloon  purposes.  At  one  time  it  was  thought 
that  this  prohibitory  condition  was  doing  injury 
and  preventing  the  growth  of  the  town.  Even  the 
temperance  people  began  to  think  it  had  better  be 
left  out.  Heaton  and  Whiteaker's  best  friends 
begged  them  to  yield  that  point.  Captain  White- 
aker would  have  yielded  but  Bro.  Heaton  said 
"Never,"  and  stood  firm,  though  he  stood  alone. 
The  outcome  has  been  that  everybody  honors 
him  for  it.  New  Burnside  has  never  had  a  licens- 
ed saloon  and  the  community  and  all  the  sur- 
roundings generally  have  been  noted  for  morality 
and  good  citizenship.  For  this  outcome  Deacon  J. 
W.  Heaton,  we  think,  deserves  more  credit  than 
any  other  man.  We  give  him  this  bouquet  now 
without  waiting  to  put  it  on  his  casket. 

We  have  already  spoken  of  the  hospitality 
of  the  Heaton  home.  In  fact  the  virtue  of  hos- 
pitality is  a  virtue  of  the  entire  "Heaton  tribe," 
as  the  old  deacon  loves  to  call  his  family.  We 
would  not  hesitate  to  call  on  any  of  them,  day  or 
night,  for  any  favor  which  hospitality  or  friend- 
ship enjoins.  They  would  go  through  rain  and 
snow  and  slush  and  darkness  to  grant  it 


A  CHARACTER  SKETCH  147 

As  a  supporter  of  public  gatherings  and  a 
dispenser  of  hospitality  which  they  call  for,  Bro. 
Heaton  was  unexcelled.  For  years  he  owned  a 
spacious  country  home.  On  big  Baptist  meeting 
days,  he  would  give  a  general  invitation  like 
this  :"Everybody  that  will,  go  to  my  house.  I  can 
feed  you  all.  Them  that  I  can't  sleep,  I  will  sit  up 
with."    And  he  never  had  any  lack  of  company. 

Brother  Heaton  became  a  Christian  when 
a  young  man.  Up  to  the  day  of  his  conversion, 
as  we  have  the  story,  he  was  very  wicked.  Attend- 
ing a  revival  meeting  one  night,  he  was  stricken 
by  an  arrow  of  conviction,  went  forward  for 
prayer  and  was  saved  in  that  same  hour.  From 
that  time  on  he  was  true  and  faithful — a  genuine 
Christian  and  a  sure-enough  Baptist.  He  may 
have  erred  sometimes  in  method,  but  his  aim  was 
always  right.  When  we  first  knew  him  he  was  a 
Baptist  Deacon  and  through  all  the  years  he  has 
looked  forward  and  upward.  Nothing  wishy- 
washy  could  ever  catch  him. 

He  was  one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  the  or- 
ganization of  the  New  Burnside  Baptist  church 
and  in  the  erection  of  its  house  of  worship.  We 
suppose  he  put  more  money  into  that  building 
than  any  other  four  men.  In  those  days  he  was 
financially  in  good  shape.  We  verily  believe  he 
would  have  paid  for  the  entire  structure  rather 
than  to  have  had  the  enterprise  fail.  When  it 
came  to  paying  his  pastor  and  promoting  good 
interests  generally,  he  was  of  the  same  spirit, 
His  heart  was  always  warm,  his    purse    was  al- 


148        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

ways  open  and  his  hand  was  always  ready  to  aid 
in  work  which  he  approved. 

Nothing  hurts  the  old  brother  now  more  than 
his  inability  to  contribute  as  he  would  like  when 
appeals  are  being  made  for  denominational  and 
benevolent  work.  We  do  not  mean  that  because 
he  is  poor  in  his  last  days  he  carries  a  long  face. 
He  does  not.  Really  he  is  happy.  But  the  joy  of 
giving  on  occasion  is  a  blessing  greatly  missed. 

Had  he  been  like  many  other  men,  he  could 
have  "cut  and  carved"  and  could  have  saved  a 
competency  at  the  expense  of  his  creditors  .  But 
he  is  not  built  of  that  kind  of  timber.  He  let 
everything  go  to  meet  his  just  obligations.  So 
now  he  walks  in  conscious  integrity,  having 
made  a  record  for  honesty  of  which  any  man  may 
be  proud.  At  the  same  time  he  has  food  and  rai- 
ment— plenty  of  life's  real  necessities  and  com- 
forts— and  is  therewith  content. 

Brother  Heaton's  age  is  now  about  eighty- 
three.  So  he  is  where  the  shadows  lengthen  far 
to  the  eastward ;  but  as  he  looks  back  over  his  pil- 
grimage, he  can  be  glad.  He  has  been  loyal  and 
faithful ;  he  has  fought  a  good  fight ;  he  has  run 
a  good  race.  When  his  children  and  friends  think 
of  his  life  story  as  he  has  lived  it  they  rise  up 
and  call  him  blessed.  And  as  he  looks  upon  his 
children,  he  finds  joy  in  them,  because  they  are 
an  honor  to  the  training  which  he  gave  them. 
We  trust  that  before  he  crosses  the  River,  he  will 
hear  of  the  conversion  of  the  only  one  who  is  not 


A  CHARACTER  SKETCH  149 

yet  a  Christian  and  that  his  years  in  the  "light 
of  the  evening  time,"  may  be  many. 

Such  men  as  this  sketch  tells  about  are  the 
pillars  of  the  church  and  of  the  social  structure. 
Their  worth  can  not  be  fully  estimated.  To  them 
we  take  off  our  hat ;  we  honor  them ;  we  wish 
them  the  best  there  is  and  the  best  there  is  to  be 
hereafter.  This,  not  only  because  of  such  things 
as  we  have  mentioned,  but  because  of — 

"That  best  portion  of  a  good  man's  life, 
His  little,  nameless,  unremembered  acts 
Of  kindness  and  of  love." 

Never  until  such  men  come  to  get  their 
crowns  will  the  full  story  of  their  rich  lives  be 
known. 


CHAPTER  II. 
ORDER  OF  THE  ORDINANCES. 

Text. — "'Now  I  praise  you,  brethren,  that  ye 
remember  me  in  all  things  and  keep  the  ordi- 
nances as  I  delivered  them  to  you." — 1  Cor.  11 :2. 

Generally  speaking  it  is  agreed  among  Bap- 
tists that  there  are  two  ordinances  which  have 
been  committed  to  the  keeping  of  the  church. 
These  two  ordinances  are  the  Lord's  Baptism  and 
the  Lord's  Supper.  Both  are  equally  the  Lord's, 
and  the  two  are  equally  sacred.  Each  in  its 
place  has  its  importance.  These  ordinances  are  to 
be  kept  as  to  their  form,  as  to  their  design,  as  to 
their  administration  and  as  to  their  order.  The 
church  which  would  have  the  apostolic  appro- 
bation must  remember  all  these  things. 

Neither  one  of  these  ordinances  has  anything 
to  do  with  making  a  man  a  child  of  God.  A  man 
must  become  a  child  of  God  before  he  has  any- 
thing to  do  with  the  ordinances.  Both  of  them  are 
for  Christians — never  for  the  unconverted.  Men 
are  saved  "by  grace  through  faith,"  before  and 
without  participation  in  these  ordinances.  "He 
that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life." 
See  John  6 :  47.  For  a  man  to  be  baptized  without 
having  been  saved  is  a  great  sin.  For  a  man  who 
is  not  a  Christian  to  partake  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per is  to  desecrate  that  sacred  feast. 

In  this  sermon  I  am  to  discuss  the  order  of 
these  ordinances.  That  is,  I  am  to  consider  this 
question :  To  which  of  these  ordinances  should  a 
Christian  come  first?  or  does  it  make  any  differ- 

150 


ORDER  OF  THE  ORDINANCES  151 

ence?  A  very  few  religionists  tell  lis  it  makes  no 
difference.  For  instance,  the  Open-Communion 
Baptists  tell  us  if  a  Christian  happens  to  be 
where  the  Lord's  table  is  set,  before  he  is  bap- 
tized, it  is  all  right  for  him  to  partake.  If  he 
happens  to  have  opportunity  to  be  baptized  first, 
let  him  submit  to  that  rite.  The  order,  they  say, 
is  a  matter  of  no  consequence. 

My  position  in  this  sermon  is  that  the  Lord's 
baptism  should  always  be  first.  That  is  to  say, 
it  is  the  immediate  duty  of  the  saved  believer 
to  be  baptized.  Then,  after  that,  in  the  Scriptural 
way  he  should  partake  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  Al- 
ways in  the  New  Testament  this  was  the  order. 

When  Jesus,  the  Master,  instituted  the  ordi- 
nances, this  was  the  order.  Baptism  was  first.  In 
the  third  chapter  of  Matthew  is  the  first  New 
Testament  mention  of  baptism.  This  baptism  was 
administered  by  John  and  multitudes  received  it 
at  his  hands.  Finally  Jesus  himself  came,  and  was 
baptized.  Some  three  and  a  half  years  after  this, 
as  the  record  is  given  in  the  twenty-sixth  chapter 
of  Matthew,  the  Lord's  Supper  was  instituted.  So 
in  the  institution  of  the  ordinances,  Jesus  and  his 
disciples  came  to  baptism  first ;  afterwards,  to  the 
Supper. 

"But  might  not  the  order  of  institution  be  a 
matter  of  indifference?  And  might  it  not  be  that 
afterward  the  order  of  observance  was  a  matter 
of  indifference?"  I  think  not.  However,  let  us 
see.  Take  the  great  Commission  as  found  in  Mat- 
thew 28 :  19,  20,  which  is  the  charter  under  which 


152        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

the  church  keeps  the  ordinances  till  this  day: 
"Go  ye  therefore  and  make  disciples  of  all  na- 
tions, baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  teaching 
them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  com- 
manded you ;  and,  lo,  I  ani  with  you  alway,  even 
to  the  end  of  the  world." 

The  first  thing  the  church  is  to  do,  according 
to  this  commission,  as  it  goes,  is  to  make  dis- 
ciples. A  disciple  is  all  one  with  a  Christian. 
Jesus  said,  "Whosoever  he  be  of  you  that  for- 
saketh  not  all  that  he  hath,  he  cannot  be  my  dis- 
ciple." See  Luke  14 :  33.  A  person  who  has  thus 
done  is  certainly  a  Christian.  The  next  thing  in 
the  great  Commission  is  baptism.  First,  make  dis- 
ciples ;  next,  baptize  them.  In  other  words,  first  a 
Christian;  next,  a  Baptist.  A  scripturally  bap- 
tized person  is  a  Baptist.  One  may  be  a  Chris- 
tian and  not  be  a  Baptist,  but  he  cannot  be  a 
real  Baptist  without  first  being  a  Christian.  The 
man  who  says,  "I  am  not  much  of  a  Christian,  but 
I  am  a  mighty  good  Baptist,"  does  not  properly 
understand.  You  cannot  be  a  good  Baptist  unless 
you  are  a  good  Christian.  The  next  thing  in  this 
great  Commission  is  to  teach  those  who  are  bap- 
tized to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  Christ  has 
commanded.  Among  these  things  is  the  observ- 
ance of  the  Lord's  Supper.  So  the  order  of  the 
great  Commission  is  first,  conversion;  next  bap- 
tism ;  after  that,  communion. 


ORDER  OF  THE  ORDINANCES  15  3 

First,  make  disciples ;  second,  make  Baptists ; 
third,  train  the  Baptists  in  the  doing  of  what 
Christ  has  commanded. 

"Your  argument  seems  plain  enough,  Brother 
Throgmorton,  so  far  as  the  great  Commission  is 
concerned.  But  are  you  sure  the  Apostles  and 
those  who  taught  under  their  immediate  direc- 
tion, understood  and  applied  the  great  Commis- 
sion as  you  do?"  Nothing  could  be  plainer  than 
that  they  did.  In  the  second  chapter  of  Acts  we 
have  the  account  of  the  first  sermon  preached 
after  the  giving  of  the  great  commission.  It 
makes  fine  reading.  Its  end  was  that  many  were 
brought  to  believe.  In  the  forty-first  verse  we  see 
the  result  immediately  following:  "Then  they 
that  gladly  received  His  word  were  baptized." 
Note  the  order.  First,  they  gladly  received  the 
word,  or  to  tell  it  in  different  language,  were 
joyfully  converted;  next,  they  were  baptized. 
Reading  on  into  the  next  verse,  we  find  where 
the  Lord's  Supper  came  in:  "Then  they  that 
gladly  received  His  word  were  baptized,  and  the 
same  day  there  were  added  unto  them  about  three 
thousand  souls.  And  they  (those  who  were  bap- 
tized and  added)  continued  steadfastly  in  the 
apostles'  doctrine,  and  fellowship,  and  in  break- 
ing of  bread  and  in  prayer."  Now  note  the  order : 
First,  conversion ;  next,  baptism ;  next,  being  add- 
ed to  the  church;  AFTER  this  the  BREAKING 
OF  BREAD,  or  participation  in  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per. Who  has  a  right  to  change  this  order  and 
put  communion  back  before  baptism?  No  one  has, 


154        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

unless  he  can  find  authority  elsewhere  in  the 
New  Testament. 

Take  another  New  Testament  example,  found 
in  Acts  8 :  5-12.  Here  we  have  an  account  of  a  very 
remarkable  revival  under  the  ministry  of  Philip. 
The  twelfth  verse  gives  the  summing  up :  "But 
when  they  believed  Philip  preaching  the  things 
concerning  the  kingdom  of  God  and  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ,  they  were  baptized,  both  men  and 
women."  Plainly  the  order  here  was,  first  con- 
version. "They  believed,  and  this  means  that 
they  were  converted.  Jesus  says,  "He  that  be- 
lieveth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life."  If  they 
had  everlasting  life  they  were  certainly  Chris- 
tians. Next,  "they  were  baptized,  both  men  and 
women."  Some  time  after  this  no  doubt  they 
came  to  the  Lord's  table.  The  point  is,  they  did 
not  come  to  the  Lord's  table  before  they  came 
to  the  Lord's  baptism.  The  teaching  is,  first,  con- 
version; next  baptism;  AFTEK  that,  commun- 
ion. Why  should  any  individual  Christian, 
preacher  or  otherwise — why  should  any  church — 
want  to  teach  converts  to  do  differently  from 
what  New  Testament  converts  did  as  shown  in 
Acts  2  and  in  Acts  8? 

Let  us  consider  another  case,  showing  how 
work  was  done  under  the  great  Commission.  Let 
us  take  the  first  revival  meeting  held  for  Gentiles. 
The  record  is  in  the  tenth  chapter  of  Acts.  Cor- 
nelius, the  Gentile,  was  instrusted  to  send  for 
Peter,  who  when  he  came  was  to  tell  him  words 
whereby    he  and    his  house    should  be    saved, 


ORDER  OF  THE  ORDINANCES  155 

(Acts  11 :  14,)  and  tell  him  what  to  do.  When  the 
apostle  came  he  found  Cornelius  and  quite  a 
company  of  interested  people  waiting  for  him.  To 
them  he  preached  and  told  the  story  of  Christ's 
life,  death  and  resurrection.  They  listened  with 
open  ears  and  open  hearts.  In  the  forty-third 
verse  we  find  the  words  whereby  they  were  to  be 
saved:  "And  to  him  give  all  the  prophets  wit- 
ness that  through  His  name  whosoever  believeth 
in  him  shall  receive  remission  of  sins."  Cornelius 
and  those  with  him  at  once  took  in  the  gracious 
message  and  were  saved.  The  next  verse  says, 
"While  Peter  yet  spake  these  words  the  Holy 
Ghost  fell  on  all  them  which  heard  the  word,  and 
they  spake  with  tongues  and  magnified  God." 
Here  were  the  first  Gentile  converts  under  the 
preaching  of  the  apostles.  If  the  Lord's  Supper 
be  as  some  people  claim  a  token  of  Christian  love 
and  fellowship  it  would  have  been  nice  for  the 
Jewish  Christians  who  were  present  to  have  sat 
down  at  the  Lord's  table  with  these  new  Gen- 
tile converts  as  a  token  of  the  fact  that  they  loved 
them  and  recognized  them.  But  Peter  did  nothing 
of  the  kind.  He  turned  to  the  Jewish  brethren 
who  were  present  and  put  the  question  to  them, 
"Can  any  of  you  forbid  water  that  these  should 
not  be  baptized  which  have  received  the  Holy 
Ghost  as  well  as  we?"  Then  we  are  told  in  the 
next  verse  that,  "he  commanded  them  to  be  bap- 
tized in  the  name  of  the  Lord."  So  the  order  here 
was,  first,  conversion;  next,  baptism.  After  this 
some  time  no  doubt  the  baptized  converts  came  to 


156        BIOGRAPHY   OF  W.   P.   THROGMORTON 

the  Lord's  table.  But  the  baptism  was  before  the 
communion.  Why  then  should  a  man  be  censured 
as  narrow  and  close  when  he  insists  on  the  same 
order  which  the  New  Testament  enjoins?  In  this 
New  Testament  order  is  the  sum  and  substance  of 
what  some  people  sneer  at  as  "close  communion. " 
It  is  New  Testament  communion. 

With  one  more  New  Testament  example  I 
think  Ave  may  close  the  argument  as  to  order  and 
consider  it  settled.  In  Acts,  eighteenth  chapter, 
we  have  an  account  of  Paul's  work  in  planting 
the  church  at  Corinth.  The  summary  may  be  con- 
sidered as  found  in  the  eighth  verse :  "And  many 
of  the  Corinthians,  hearing,  believed  and  were 
baptized."  Plain  enough.  Those  who  thus  believed 
were  converted.  Every  true  believer  is  a  true 
convert.  So  at  Corinth  it  was,  first  conversion; 
next,  baptism.  Some  time  afterward  they  came  to 
the  Lord's  table.  Paul  gives  these  same  converts 
directions  as  to  the  Lord's  Supper  in  1  Corinth- 
ians, eleventh  chapter.  I  hope  the  order  is  now  so 
impressed  on  your  minds  and  hearts  that  you  will 
never  get  away  from  it.  New  Testament  order  is, 
first,  that  a  man  should  be  converted ;  next,  that 
he  should  be  baptized;  after  that — never  before 
that — that  he  should  come  to  the  Lord's  table. 

This  is  New  Testament  order  and  this  is  the 
order  of  Baptist  teaching  and  practice.  As  to  this 
order  all  denominations  who  practice  baptism  at 
all  (open  communion  Baptists  excepted)  are 
agreed.  I  know  that  in  their  practice  they  do  not 
always  seem  to  be  agreed  to  it,  but  in  their  stand- 


ORDER  OF  THE  ORDINANCES  157 

ards,  they  are.  Dr.  Wall,  the  learned  Episcopal- 
ian who  wrote  the  celebrated  History  of  Infant 
Baptism  says  this :  "No  church  ever  gave  the  com- 
munion to  any  persons  before  they  were  baptiz- 
ed. Among  all  the  absurdities  that  ever  were  held, 
none  ever  maintained  that  any  person  should 
partake  of  the  communion  before  he  was  bap- 
tized." The  idea  that  unbaptized  people  may  come 
to  the  Lord's  table  was  a  doctrine  which  Dr. 
Wall  had  not  heard  of.  Open-communion  Baptists 
were  a  people  he  did  not  know  about. 

Dr.  Griffin,  a  Presbyterian  scholar,  says  this : 
"I  agree  with  the  advocates  of  close  communion 
in  two  points :  1.  That  baptism  is  the  initiatory 
ordinance  which  introduces  us  into  the  visible 
church;  of  course,  where  there  is  no  baptism 
there  are  no  visible  churches.  2.  That  we  ought 
not  to  commune  with  those  who  are  not  baptized, 
and  of  course,  are  not  church  members,  even  if 
we  regard  them  as  Christians." 

Dr.  Hibbard,  a  learned  Methodist  author, 
says:  "In  one  principle  Baptist  and  pedo-bap- 
tist  churches  agree.  They  both  agree  in  rejecting 
from  communion  at  the  table  of  the  Lord,  and  in 
denying  the  rights  of  church  fellowship  to  all  who 
have  not  been  baptized."  The  same  author  says 
further:  "The  charge  of  close  communion  is  no 
more  applicable  to  the  Baptists  than  to  us  (pedo- 
baptists) ;  inasmuch  as  the  question  of  church 
fellowship  with  them  is  determined  by  as  liberal 
principles  as  it  is  with  any  other  protestant 
churches.    So  far  I  mean  as  the  present  subject 


158   BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

is  concerned,  i.  e.,  it  is  determined  by  valid  bap- 
tism." 

It  appears  then  that  where  Baptists  separate 
from  their  brethren  of  other  denominations,  is 
not  at  the  Lord's  table.  The  separation  is  before 
they  get  to  the  Lord's  table.  It  is  at  the  baptis- 
try. Baptists  believe  that  only  immersion  is  bap- 
tism. They  do  not  regard  those  who  have  receiv- 
ed only  sprinkling  or  pouring  for  baptism  as  hav- 
ing been  baptized  at  all. 

Let  ns  remember  this:  Baptists,  pedo-bap- 
tists,  and  the  New  Testament  are  all  agreed  that 
in  gospel  order  the  Lord's  Baptism  must  come 
before  the  Lord's  Supper. 

But  an  objector  says :  "I  have  a  difficulty.  You 
Baptists  do  not  invite  all  who  have  been  immers- 
ed to  the  Lord's  table."  You  are  right  about 
that.  Immersed  persons  in  other  denominations 
are  not  invited  to  the  Lord's  Supper  in  Baptist 
churches,  because  there  is  one  other  point  in  gos- 
pel order.  Different  sects  cannot  possibly  eat 
the  Lord's  Supper  together.  The  Lord's  Supper 
can  only  be  observed  by  the  undivided  body  of 
Christ  which  is  the  church  of  the  New  Testament. 

Suppose  we  improvise  an  ideal  open  commun- 
ion occasion.  Before  us  is  a  pew  full  of  Meth- 
odists, and  we  will  say  that  every  one  of  them  is 
a  real  Christian  and  that  every  one  of  them  has 
been  immersed.  A  second  pew  is  filled  with  Pres- 
byterians, and  we  will  say  that  every  one  of 
them  is  a  Christian  and  has  been  immersed.  A 
third  pew  is  occupied  by  Congregationalists ;  and 


ORDER  OF  THE  ORDINANCES  159 

we  will  say  that  every  one  of  them  is  a  Chritian 
and  every  one  has  been  immersed.  A  fourth  pew 
is  full  of  Baptists ;  and  we  will  say  every  one  of 
them  is  a  Christian  and  has  been  immersed.  Be- 
fore these  is  a  table  on  which  are  the  loaf  and 
the  fruit  of  the  vine.    Thanks  are  given,  the  loaf 
is  broken  and  eaten  by  all  these.     Thanks  are 
again  offered  and  the  cup  containing  the  fruit  of 
the  vine  is  partaken  of  by  all  these.  BUT  THIS 
IS  NOT  THE  LORD'S  SUPPER.    A  congrega- 
tion such  as  this  cannot  observe  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per.    Let  us  prove  this:     I  do  not  want  to  be 
harsh ;  I  do  not  want  to  be  unkind.    I  will  give 
you  what  Paul  says.     In  my  text  he  says:     "I 
praise  you  that  ye  remember  me  in  all  things  and 
keep  the  ordinances  as  I  delivered  them  to  you." 
Then  in  1  Cor.  11 :  17-20,  he  says :  "But  in  giving 
you  this  charge,  I  praise  you,  not  that  ye  come  to- 
gether not  for  the  better,  but  for  the  worse.    For 
first  of  all  when  ye  come  together  in  the  church 
(congregation)  I  hear  that  divisions     (schisms) 
exist  among  you :  and  I  partly  believe  it.     For 
there  must  be  also  heresies     (factions)     among 
you,  that  they  which  are  approved  may  be  made 
manifest    among  you.       When  therefore  ye  as- 
semble yourselves  together,   IT  IS  NOT   POS- 
SIBLE TO  EAT  THE  LORD'S  SUPPER."     I 
have  quoted  from  the  Revised  Version.    In  that 
church  at  Corinth  were  at  least  four  different 
sects  or  factions.    Some  were  of  Paul ;  some  were 
of  Apollos ;  some  of  Cephas,  and  some  of  Christ. 


160        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

See  1  Cor.  1 :12.  On  this  account  it  was  not  pos- 
sible for  that  church  to  eat  the  Lord's  Supper. 

Xow  in  this  improvised  occasion  which  I  have 
brought  before  you  there  are  four  sects  or  fac- 
tions. Therefore  they  cannot  eat  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per. If  I  were  a  Methodist  or  a  Presbyterian  I 
would  be  as  strict  a  communionist  as  I  ani  now. 
Different  sects  CAXXOT  eat  the  Lord's  Supper 
together. 

Another  man  comes  with  this  objection :  "It 
is  the  Lord's  table  and  surely  all  the  Lord's  chil- 
dren have  a  right  to  come  to  it."  Yes,  it  is  the 
Lord's  table  and  for  that  very  reason  the  church 
which  observes  it  must  keep  the  Lord's  directions 
concerning  it.  If  it  were  OUR  table  we  might 
do  as  we  please  with  it,  but,  as  it  is  not  ours, 
the  case  is  different.  As  it  is  the  LORD'S  we 
must  observe  the  Lord's  law  concerning  it.  Bap- 
tists are  noted  for  hospitality  at  their  own  tables. 
But  the  Lord's  law  as  to  HIS  table  is  that  first  a 
man  should  be  converted ;  after  that  he  should  be 
immersed  and  come  to  the  table  in  the  undivided 
body  of  Christ  where  alone  the  table  can  be  set. 
Even  the  Lord's  children,  while  they  have  a  right 
at  the  table,  have  no  right  to  come  to  it  contrary 
to  His  law. 

A  man's  children  have  no  right  to  come  to  his 
table  contrary  to  his  rules.  John  Smith  has  five 
boys  and  they  have  a  good  mother.  Mr.  Smith 
decides  to  go  to  the  great  Northwest  and  try  to 
make  a  fortune  for  them.  He  has  very  strict  but 
wise  rules  by  whch  he  governs  them.  Before  he 


ORDER  OF  THE  ORDINANCES  161 

goes  away  he  has  a  talk  with  his  wife  and  she 
agrees  that  to  the  best  of  her  ability  she  will 
manage  the  boys  according  to  his  rules.  So  away 
he  goes  and  leaves  his  wife  and  children  at  home. 
For  a  time  everything  goes  on  well.  One  of 
Mr.  Smith's  rules  has  been  that  no  boy  should 
come  to  the  breakfast  table  without  having  first 
washed  his  face  and  combed  his  hair.  After  a 
few  days,  Johnnie,  the  youngest,  gets  up  late  one 
morning.  The  other  boys,  all  ready  in  due  form, 
are  at  the  table  eating  their  morning  meal.  John- 
nie is  in  a  hurry  to  join  them.  So  with  face  un- 
washed, hair  unkempt,  only  one  suspender  in 
place,  no  coat  on,  he  comes  and  down  he  sits  at 
the  table.  His  mother  says:  "My  son,  you  are 
not  ready  for  your  breakfast  yet."  Johnnie  re- 
plies, "I  guess  this  is  my  father's  table.  I'm  his 
son  and  I  have  a  right  here."  The  mother  re- 
plies, "Yes,  my  boy,  you  are  your  father's  son 
and  this  is  your  father's  table ;  but  you  must  not 
come  to  your  father's  table  contrary  to  your 
father's  rules.  So  go  at  once  and  perform  your 
morning  ablutions  and  get  ready."  Everybody 
says,  "Good  for  the  little  woman;  she  is  right." 
So  the  Lord's  children  must  come  to  the  Lord's 
table  only  as  He  directs.  Those  who  come  must 
first  have  been  converted;  after  that  they  must 
have  been  immersed  and  then  they  must  be  in 
fellowship  in  the  undivided  body  or  church.  A 
church  cannot  change  the  rule  and  be  loyal  to  its 
Lord. 


162        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

"Well,  all  this  seems  to  be  pretty  clear,  but 
there  is  one  Scripture  in  my  mind  that  I  would 
like  for  you  to  explain.  Paul  says,  'Let  a  man 
examine  himself  and  so  let  him  eat!"  Yes;  the 
apostle  says  that,  and  it  is  in  perfect  harmony 
with  all  we  have  been  saying.  We  are  to  inter- 
pret all  such  expressions  by  their  limitations.  No- 
body believes  that  just  any  man  in  the  world,  no 
matter  who  he  is,  may  eat.  Some  are  not  to  be 
eaten  with  at  all.  So  what  are  the  limitations? 
Let  me  illustrate.  This  fall  there  is  an  election. 
A  president  and  a  congress  are  to  be  chosen.  WTe 
are  to  have  a  great  time.  The  great  parties  will 
have  their  candidates  before  the  people  and  their 
platforms  will  be  published  and  great  meetings 
will  be  held  and  wonderful  speeches  will  be 
made.  The  question  will  be,  What  is  a  man  to 
do?  I  say,  Let  a  man  examine  the  candidates 
and  the  platforms  and  so  let  him  vote.  And  every- 
body says  this  is  right.  But  here  is  a  good  Ger 
man  who  has  not  been  naturalized.  He  loves 
our  country  and  our  institutions.  He  has  cross- 
ed the  ocean  to  be  with  us.  Must  he  examine 
the  candidates  and  so  vote?  Not  much.  The 
judges,  sworn  to  maintain  the  election  laws,  will 
not  permit  it.  He  lacks  his  naturalization  pa- 
pers. Such  expressions  as  1  Cor.  11:  28  are  al- 
ways to  be  understood  inside  the  law  governing 
the  matter  in  hand.  The  law  as  to  the  order  of 
the  ordinances  is  that  communion  at  the  Lord's 
table  must  come  after  baptism  and  church 
membership.    Inside  this  law,  let  a  man  examine 


ORDER  OF  THE  ORDINANCES  163 

himself  and  so  let  him  eat,  but  he  must  not  go 
outside  the  law  to  eat. 

Another  objection  to  the  order  of  the  ordi- 
nances as  Baptists  teach  and  practice,  is  put  this 
way :  "If  you  Baptists  would  give  up  your  close 
communion,  you  would  be  more  popular.  You 
would  take  the  country.  I  would  <jine'  you  my- 
self if  it  were  not  for  your  close  communion." 
If  what  is  thus  said  were  true,  Baptists  would 
not  be  justified  in  doing  wrong.  Principle  should 
never  be  given  up  for  a  little  brief  popularity 
However,  is  it  a  fact  that  open  communion 
would  make  Baptists  more  prosperous?  Why 
do  not  the  people  who  say  they  would  join  us  if 
it  were  not  for  our  close  communion — why  do 
they  not  join  the  Freewill  Baptists?  The  Free- 
will Baptists  are  good  people  and  they  are  open 
communionists.  And  why  don't  the  Freewill 
Baptists  take  the  country?  The  fact  is  the  strict 
communion  Baptists  of  this  country  baptize  into 
the  fellowship  of  their  churches  more  converts 
each  year  than  there  are  members  in  all  the  open 
communion  Baptist  denominations  in  America 
put  together.  Open  communion  is  not  only  un- 
scriptural,  but  it  is  poor  policy.  Where  the 
Baptists  stand  closest  to  the  logic  of  their  prin- 
ciples, there  they  prosper  most  and  have  most 
favor  with  the  people. 

The  policy  of  open  communion  logically  car- 
ried out  would  not  only  result  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  any  proper  observance  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per, but  would  nullify  the  effect  of  church  dis- 


164        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

cipline  in  the  exclusion  of  the  unworthy.  Sup- 
pose a  "close  communion"  church  today  exclud- 
ed a  man  for  being  a  drunkard.  A  week  later  that 
same  church  holds  a  meeting  and  resolves  itself 
into  an  open  communion  church.  Two  weeks 
after  that,  the  supper  is  to  be  served.  The  broth- 
er who  was  excluded  for  being  a  drunkard 
promptly  takes  his  seat  as  a  communicant.  The 
church  cannot  say  him  nay,  because  it  has 
voted  itself  an  open  communion  church,  and  the 
members  who  wish  to  be  true  to  Christ  cannot 
possibly  commune.  They  cannot  do  so  in  view 
of  what  Paul  says.  No  Christian  could  commune 
in  such  a  case  without  disobeying  God.  The 
apostle  says :  "But  now  I  have  written  unto  you 
not  to  keep  company,  if  any  man  that  is  called  a 
brother  be  a  fornicator,  or  covetous,  or  an  idol- 
ater, or  a  drunkard,  or  an  extortioner;  WITH 
SUCH  AN  ONE,  NO,  NOT  TO  EAT."  See 
1  Cor.  5 :  11.  Manifestly  a  church  should  not  ex- 
tend its  communion  further  than  it  could  on  oc- 
casion extend  its  discipline.  Do  not  forget  the 
New  Testament  rule :  First,  let  a  man  be  convert- 
ed; next,  let  him  be  immersed;  after  that,  let 
him  come  to  the  Lord's  Supper  in  the  orderly 
way  as  it  is  set  out  in  a  New  Testament  church. 

"But  you  said  in  the  beginning  of  this  ser- 
mon that  neither  one  of  these  ordinances  has 
anything  to  do  with  making  a  man  a  Christian. 
Then  why  make  such  a  fuss  about  them?  It 
seems  to  me  that  you  are  making  much  ado  about 
small  matters."    Is  it  a  small  matter  to  obey  or 


ORDER  OF  THE  ORDINANCES  165 

to  disobey  God?  While  these  ordinances  are  not 
essential  to  the  salvation  of  the  soul,  they  are 
symbols  of  the  grandest  facts  that  ever  took 
place  in  God's  universe.  They  set  forth  in  pic- 
ture the  death,  the  burial  and  the  resurrection 
of  our  Lord.  What  would  you  think  of  a  man 
who  would  not  respect  the  photograph  of  his 
mother?  What  would  you  think  of  him  if  he 
would  not  resent  any  insult  or  indignity  cast  up- 
on that  picture  by  some  person  in  his  presence? 
You  would  not  respect  him.  And  yet  that 
photograph  is  only  a  piece  of  cardboard  with  a 
little  light  and  shadow  thrown  upon  it.  Why 
make  such  an  ado  over  it?  Ah,  it  is  because  of 
what  that  light  and  shadow  represent — mother, 
home,  and  the  tender  memories  of  the  days  of 
childhood  long  since  gone.  What  would  you 
think  of  the  man  claiming  to  be  an  American 
citizen  who  would  not  respect  the  Stars  and 
Stripes,  the  old  flag?  Who  would  not  take  off  his 
hat  in  its  honor?  Who  would  not  fight  for  it 
and  die  for  it  if  need  be?  And  yet  that  flag  is 
only  a  piece  of  cloth  with  a  few  stars  and  stripes 
dyed  into  its  texture.  Why  make  such  a  fuss 
over  it  and  on  account  of  it?  It  is  because  of 
what  that  flag  stands  for  It  stands  for  home, 
and  fireside,  and  country,  and  liberty  and  every- 
thing that  the  true  American  holds  dear. 

So  with  these  ordinances.  In  themselves  they 
are  simply  moving  pictures,  but  their  glory  is 
in  what  they  symbolize.  Let  us  keep  them  as 
delivered.    Let  us  honor  them  as  the  ensigns  of 


166        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

the  King  of  Kings  and  let  us  keep  them  as  they 
have  been  delivered  to  us.  Let  us  live  as  they 
teach  us  and  let  us,  if  need  be,  die  the  death  that 
they  may  be  kept  in  all  their  integrity  and  purity 
as  he  gave  them.  Concerning  one  of  the  ordi- 
nances we  used  to  sing : 


*&> 


"Behold  the  place  where  Jesus  lay, 
An  angel  said  of  old; 
We  say  the  same;  His  grave  you  may 
In  water  here  behold. 

This  ordinance  is  plainly  given; 
'Tis  left  upon  record ; 
Though  not  to  save  or  take  to  heaven, 
But  show  we  love  the  Lord." 


CHAPTER  III. 
FOUR  ESSENTIALS  TO  SCRIPTURAL  BAP- 
TISM. 

(A  Sermon.) 
Text :— "One  Baptism."— Eph.  4 :  5. 
The  peculiarity  of  a  Christian  is  that  he  loves 
God  and  the  people  of  God.  "He  that  loveth  not 
knoweth  not  God."  The  expression  of  this  love 
is  obedience  to  what  God  commands.  Jesus  once 
said  to  the  disciples,  "If  ye  love  me,  keep  my 
commandments."  In  the  same  chapter  he  also 
said,  "If  a  man  love  me  he  will  keep  my  words." 
One  of  the  very  first  impulses  felt  in  the  new 
heart  is  the  desire  to  do  what  God  commands.  As 
soon  as  Jesus  was  revealed  to  Saul  of  Tarsus  as 
his  Savior  and  Lord,  Saul's  first  question  was, 
"Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do?"  In  fact, 
the  acceptance  of  Jesus,  as  Lord,  is  as  neces- 
sary to  salvation  as  the  acceptance  of  him  as 
Savior.  The  word  to  the  inquirer  is,  "Believe  on 
the  LORD  Jesus  Christ  and  thou  shalt  be  saved," 
which  is  equivalent  to  saying,  "Accept  Jesus  as 
Lord  to  rule  you  and  Savior  to  save  you  and  you 
shall  be  saved."  Luther  said  that  he  had  rather 
obey  than  to  work  miracles,  and  the  Bible  says 
to  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice. 

One  of  the  plain  commandments  in  the  New 
Testament  is,  "Be  baptized."  Baptism  cannot  be 
neglected  without  disobedience  to  the  Lord  and 
Savior.  For  a  man  to  say,  "I  love  my  Savior, 
but  I  will  not  be  baptized,"  is  a  misnomer.    Such 

167 


168        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

talk  is  plain  proof  of  one  of  two  things :  Either 
the  one  who  thus  speaks,  does  not  know  that 
baptism  is  commanded,  or  else  he  does  not  love 
God.  The  surest  proof  that  a  man  does  not  love 
God  is  his  declaration  that  he  will  not  obey  Him. 
A  Quaker  may  say,  "I  will  not  be  baptized,"  and 
not  show  the  spirit  of  disobedience  because  he 
does  not  believe  that  baptism  is  now  command- 
ed. And  love  can  be  manifested  by  doing  only 
what  it  conscientiously  believes  is  laid  upon  it. 
Neglect  of  baptism  in  the  case  of  a  conscientious 
Quaker  is  a  sin  of  the  head  and  not  of  the  heart. 
Of  course,  sins  of  the  head  are  recorded  against 
us,  but  there  is  a  great  difference  between  a 
wilful  sin  and  a  sin  committed  unwittingly. 

The  word  baptism,  in  its  various  forms,  oc- 
curs in  the  New  Testament  about  eighty  times. 
God  sent  John  on  purpose  to  baptize.  Jesus 
walked  more  than  sixty-five  miles  on  purpose  to 
be  baptized.  Just  before  he  ascended  to  his  Fath- 
er, he  commanded  his  people  to  administer  it  to 
the  end  of  the  world.  All  through  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles  we  see  where  the  Holy  Spirit  enjoin- 
ed it  and  where  it  was  submitted  to  by  those 
whom  the  apostles  taught.  It  is  an  ordinance 
which  is  stamped  with  the  divine  approval  just 
as  truly  as  the  stars  and  stripes  are  stamped 
with  the  approval  of  our  government  as  the  em- 
blem and  ensign  of  our  great  union  of  states.  I 
once  knew  a  Cumberland  Presbyterian  preacher 
of  whom  it  was  said — I  didn't  hear  him  say  it — 
that  he  declared  that  if  he  had  every  passage 


ESSENTIALS  TO  SCRIPTURAL  BAPTISM        169 

which  contained  the  word  baptism  in  all  the  New 
Testament,  on  one  leaf  of  his  Bible,  he  would 
cut  it  out  and  throw  it  away.  He  said  the  dis- 
cussion of  it  caused  lots  of  trouble  and  it  was 
not  essential  anyway.  Such  a  man  is  as  disloyal 
to  Christ  at  heart,  as  is  the  soldier  entrusted  by 
his  commander  in  chief  with  orders  to  deliver  to 
a  subordinate  at  a  given  point,  and  who  instead 
of  delivering  them,_declares  that  they  are  of  no 
use,  throws  them  in  the  fire  and  goes  on  his  way. 
Such  a  soldier,  when  found  out,  will  always  be 
court-martialed  and  severely  punished.  Will  the 
great  Master  of  earth  and  heaven  be  less  severe? 
He  is  the  judge  of  all  the  world  and  will  do  right. 
We  will  leave  it  to  Him. 

Now  if  baptism  is  commanded  and  if  the  com- 
mand ought  to  be  obeyed,  what  is  essential  to  it 
that  it  may  be  obeyed?  Every  loyal  spirit  will 
want  to  be  sure  on  this  point.  If  he  does  not 
want  to  be  sure,  he  betrays  a  carelessness  which 
is  criminal  and  a  disregard  for  the  will  of  his 
Savior  and  Lord.  Let  me  say  then  that  the  first 
essential  to  scriptural  baptism  is, 

1.  That  there  must  he  a  proper  subject.  To 
administer  the  form  to  one  who  is  not  a  proper 
subject,  would  amount  to  nothing  for  good,  and 
would  be  disobedience  on  the  part  of  one  or  both 
the  subject  and  the  man  who  administers  the  rite. 
An  unconscious  infant  is  not  a  proper  subject 
for  baptism.  It  can  have  no  faith  of  its  own ;  it 
can  have  no  conscience  in  the  matter  of  its  own. 
In  Heb.  11 :  6  we  read,  "Without  faith  it  is  impos- 


170        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

sible  to  please  God."  In  the  work  of  John  the 
Baptist,  we  find  that  he  baptized  only  such  as 
confessed  their  sins.  See  Matt  3 :  5,  6.  This,  in- 
fants cannot  do,  because  they  have  no  sins  to 
confess  and  because  if  they  have  them  they  are 
not  competent  to  make  the  confession.  In  John 
4 :  1-3  we  find  that  Jesus  baptized  only  disciples, 
and  infants  cannot  be  disciples.  A  disciple  is  one 
who  forsakes  all  that  he  has  that  he  may  win 
Christ.  See  Luke  14 :  33.  This,  an  infant,  can- 
not do.  In  the  great  Commission  Jesus  com- 
mands the  baptism  of  disciples  to  the  end  of  the 
world,  and  does  not  command  the  baptism  of  in- 
fants. In  fact,  there  is  not  the  shadow  of  the 
sign  of  a  command  or  of  an  example  in  the  New 
Testament  that  infants  were  ever  baptized  under 
the  ministry  of  John,  Jesus  or  the  apostles.  How 
then  can  a  man  sprinkle  or  pour  water  upon  an 
infant,  and  say,  "I  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of 
the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,"  without  taking  the  three  sacred  names  in 
vain? 

The  only  proper  subject  is  a  true  believer, 
one  who  has  gladly  received  Christ  as  his  Sav- 
ior and  who  has  the  sense  of  sins  forgiven.  In 
Acts  2:  41,  we  read,  "Then  they  that  gladly  re- 
ceived his  word  were  baptized."  In  Acts  8 :  12, 
we  read,  that  the  men  and  women  who  believ- 
ed were  baptized.  In  Acts  10 :  47,  48,  we  find  that 
those  who  had  received  the  Holy  Spirit  were 
commanded  to  be  baptized.  In  Acts  18:  8  we 
read  that  in  the  great  revival  in  the  City  of  Cor- 


ESSENTIALS    TO    SCRIPTURAL    BAPTISM      171 

inth,  "Many  of  the  Corinthians  hearing,  believed 
and  were  baptized."  And  so  it  always  was.  In 
1  Peter  3 :  21,  we  are  taught  that  baptism  is  THE 
LANGUAGE  of  a  good  conscience.  This  good 
conscience  is  an  inward  sense  that  all  is  well.  So 
no  person  can  be  scripturally  baptized  unless  he 
has  so  trusted  in  Jesus  Christ  for  salvation  as 
to  feel  that  his  sins  are  taken  away  and  that  he 
is  therefore  CLEAR  before  God.  "Baptism  is 
not  the  putting  away  of  the  filth  of  the  flesh,  but 
is  the  ANSWER  of  a  good  conscience  toward 
God."  Here  then  is  the  first  essential  to  scrip- 
tural baptism :  The  subject  must  be  a  believer  in 
Christ  who  feels  that  his  sins  are  forgiven. 

2.  The  second  essential  to  scriptural  baptism 
is  the  proper  action.  The  Scriptures  recognize 
just  one  action  as  baptism.  That  action  is  im- 
mersion. We  know  this  first  from  the  meaning 
of  the  word  itself.  Baptism  comes  from  the 
Greek  word  baptizo,  which,  according  to  the 
scholarship  of  the  world,  means  to  immerse. 
John  Calvin  says  that  it  is  certain  that  immer- 
sion was  the  practice  of  the  ancient  church.  The 
learned  Moses  Stuart  says,  "Bapto  and  baptizo 
mean  to  dip,  to  plunge,  to  immerse,  as  is  granted 
by  all  the  world.  All  lexicographers  and  critics 
of  any  note  are  agreed  in  this."  The  learned 
Prof.  Anthon  says,  "Sprinkling  and  pouring  are 
out  of  the  question."  Not  one  of  these  men 
quoted  was  a  Baptist,  but  each  was  a  pedo-bap 
tist  and  submitted  to  the  custom  of  sprinkling 
and  pouring  on  the  ground  that  the  church  had 


172        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

a  right  to  change  the  form  which  Christ  had 
commanded.  Just  how  they  could  do  this  and 
satisfy  their  consciences  is  a  question  not  for 
me  to  solve.  Good  men  sometimes  do  strange 
and  unaccountable  things. 

The  circumstances  of  baptism  as  recorded  in 
the  New  Testament  point  to  immersion  as  the 
act.  For  example  read  Mark  1 :  5,  6,  "And  there 
went  out  unto  him  all  the  land  of  Judea,  and 
they  of  Jerusalem,  and  were  all  baptized  of  him 
IN  the  river  of  Jordan,  confessing  their  sins.'' 
They  were  not  baptized  at  the  river,  nor  by  the 
river,  nor  near  the  river,  but  IN  the  river.  It 
would  be  utter  nonsense  to  take  a  person  down 
into  a  river  to  pour  or  sprinkle  a  little  water  on 
him,  when  either  of  those  actions  could  be  per- 
formed just  as  well  or  better  out  of  the  river. 
Concerning  the  baptism  of  John,  in  another 
place  we  read,  "And  John  was  baptizing  at 
Enon  near  to  Salem,  because  there  was  much 
water  there."  It  does  not  take  much  water,  for 
either  sprinkling  or  pouring.  It  does  take  much 
water  for  immersion.  In  Acts  8 :  36-38  we  have 
the  account  of  the  baptism  of  the  Ethiopian.  He 
and  Philip  were  riding  together  in  the  Ethio- 
pian's chariot  and  Philip  preached  Jesus  to  him, 
in  such  a  way  that  he  accepted  him  as  Lord  and 
Savior.  "And  as  they  went  on  their  way  they 
came  to  a  certain  water;  *  *  *  and  they  went 
down  both  into  the  water  and  he  baptized  him, 
and  when  they  were  come  up  out  of  the  water, 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  caught  away  Philip,"  etc. 


ESSENTIALS  TO  SCRIPTURAL  BAPTISM      173 

The  order  of  events  here  occurring  are  about 
thus:  First,  they  came  TO  the  water;  second, 
they  went  down  both  INTO  the  water;  third,  he 
baptized  him;  fourth,  they  came  up  out  of  the 
water.  No  such  incidents  need  to  have  occur- 
red except  in  the  case  of  an  immersion.  There  is 
no  need  to  go  down  into  the  water  nor  to  come  up 
out  of  the  water  in  a  case  of  sprinkling  or  pour- 
ing. Some  very  futile  and  foolish  arguments  have 
been  advanced  in  discussion  of  this  passage.  One 
man  said,  "You  can't  tell  who  of  the  two  was 
baptized."  Anybody  with  good  common  sense 
will  understand  that  the  man  was  baptized  who 
wanted  to  be.  I  will  say  this:  If  any  man  will 
read  this  passage  carefully  and  not  be  satisfied 
who  was  baptized,  I  will  agree  that  such  a  read- 
er ought  not  to  be  baptized.  He  is  entirely  irre- 
sponsible. No  New  Testament  circumstance 
properly  considered  points  elsewhere  than  to  im- 
mersion. I  could  quote  pedo-baptist  scholars 
by  the  score  on  this  point,  but  it  is  not  necessary. 
Immersion  is  the  proper  action  for  scriptural 
baptism.  Even  those  who  advocate  sprinkling 
and  pouring  admit  that  immersion  is  proper  and 
right  and  is  obedience  to  the  command  to  be 
baptized  so  far  as  the  action  is  concerned. 

3.  Another  essential  to  scriptural  baptism 
is  the  proper  design.  A  true  believer  might  be 
immersed  with  no  design  at  all.  He  might  fall 
off  of  a  foot-log  into  deep  water  by  accident  and 
be  immersed  and  come  up  out  of  the  water,  but 
this  would  not  be  scriptural  baptism.    The  sub- 


174        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

ject  is  all  right;  the  immersion  is  all  right;  but 
the  design  is  wrong.  A  true  believer  might  be 
immersed  to  cure  rheumatism,  but  this  would 
not  be  scriptural  baptism.  The  design  would  be 
wrong.  In  fact,  the  design  of  baptism  is  the  es- 
sence of  it  in  the  final  analysis.  Jesus  was  bap- 
tized that  he  might  be  made  manifest  to  Israel. 
At  his  baptism  he  was  declared  to  be  the  Son  of 
God.  So  the  baptism  of  a  true  believer  now  is  to 
set  forth  in  symbol  the  death,  burial  and  resur- 
rection of  our  Lord.  In  Rom.  6 :  3,  4,  we  are  said 
to  be  baptized  into  his  death.  This  means  with 
reference  to  his  death.  We  are  said  to  be  buried 
with  him  by  baptism  into  death.  That  is,  our 
baptism  declares  our  union  with  him  by  faith  in 
h is  death  and  burial,  and  our  resurrection  in  the 
act  of  baptism  declares  our  faith  in  his  resurrec- 
tion, and  also  declares  our  intention  to  walk  in 
that  newness  of  life  which  he  has  given  us.  The 
same  thing  is  seen  in  Col.  2:  12,  "Buried  with 
him  in  baptism  wherein  also  ye  are  risen  with 
him."  That  is  to  say,  the  design  of  baptism  is 
to  set  forth  in  a  picture,  acted  out,  the  great 
facts  of  the  gospel  and  our  faith  in  them — the 
death,  the  burial  and  the  resurrection  of  our 
Lord ;  and  any  baptism  which  does  not  have  this 
meaning,  is  not  scriptural  baptism.  Some  min- 
isters who  do  not  believe  in  immersion  will_ad- 
minister  it  rather  than  lose  a  member.  That  is 
to  say,  they  immerse  to  please  the  candidate  and 
not  to  please  God.  The  direction  of  one  ritual 
which  I  have  read  is  like  this:  "Then  shall  the 


ESSENTIALS  TO  SCRIPTURAL  BAPTISM      175 

minister  sprinkle  or  pour  water  upon  the  head 
of  the  candidate  (or  if  the  candidate  desires  it, 
immerse  him  in  water)  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 
Plainly  such  an  immersion  is  only  to  please  the 
candidate  and  does  not  please  God.  Paul  says, 
"If  I  yet  please  men,  I  should  not  be  the  servant 
of  Christ.    See  Gal.  1 :  10. 

"To  please  the  man  and  not  his  God, 
They  will  immerse  him  in  the  flood." 
4.  There  is  yet  one  more  essential  to  scrip- 
tural baptism.  We  may  have  the  proper  sub- 
ject; we  may  have  the  proper  action;  we  may 
have  the  proper  design;  but  there  must  be  some 
one  to  administer  the  ordinance.  Does  it  make 
any  difference  who  this  some  one  is?  If  not,  the 
Devil  could  administer  scriptural  baptism.  The 
fact  is  somebody  is  as  plainly  commanded  to 
baptize,  as  believers  are  commanded  to  BE  bap- 
tized. And  it  is  as  certain  that  the  New  Testa- 
ment points  out  who  ought  to  baptize,  as  plainly 
as  it  does  who  ought  to  be  baptized. 

It  made  a  great  deal  of  difference  with  Jesus 
who  baptized  him.  When  he  desired  baptism  he 
was  at  Nazareth  of  Galilee  where  he  had  been 
brought  up.  Not  far  from  Nazareth  there  was 
plenty  of  water.  There  were,  no  doubt,  moun- 
tain streams  with  beautiful  pools  in  them  deep 
enough  for  the  purpose  of  immersion.  And  Je- 
sus could  have  found  some  friend,  no  doubt,  who 
would  have  gone  with  him  to  one  of  these  pools 
and  at  his  request  would  have  gone  down  with 


17  6        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

him  into  the  water  and  would  have  raised  him 
up  out  of  the  water.  But  Jesus  did  not  want 
baptism  at  such  hands,  however  good  and  ami- 
able such  a  friend  might  have  been.  He  might 
even  have  been  a  rabbi.  But  Jesus  wanted  to  be 
baptized  by  the  man  whom  God  had  sent.  God 
had  sent  John  the  Baptist  on  purpose  to  bap- 
tize. So  we  read  in  Matt.  3:  15,  "Then  cometh 
Jesus  from  Galilee  to  Jordan  unto  John  to  be 
baptized  OF  HIM."  That  is  to  say,  Jesus  walked 
sixty-five  miles  across  that  rough  country  to  be 
baptized  by  a  proper  administrator — the  one 
whom  God  had  sent  to  baptize.  Now  suppose  I 
want  to  be  baptized  today.  Ought  I  not  to  fo- 
low  Jesus'  example  and  try  to  find  some  one 
whom  God  has  sent  to  baptize? 

Is  it  likely  that  God  sends  men  to  baptize 
who  have  not  themselves  been  baptized?  Is  it 
likely  that  He  authorizes  organizations  to  ad- 
minister baptism  who  try  to  prevent  every  one 
they  possibly  can  from  being  baptized  and  try  to 
persuade  a  candidate  to  accept  some  other  ac- 
tion in  place  of  baptism  and  when  they  can  not 
succeed  in  this,  rather  than  lose  him,  adminis- 
ter immersion  to  him?  I  do  not  think  the  au- 
thority to  administer  scriptural  baptism  rests  in 
any  such  hands.  Hence,  when  persons  come  to 
our  Baptist  churches  and  ask  admission  on  an 
immersion  received  from  such  a  source,  we  will 
not  accept  them  unless  they  be  reiminersed.  We 
say  to  them,  "Your  church  is  as  good  as  your 
baptism.    If  you  will  not  repudiate  its  baptism. 


ESSENTIALS  TO  SCRIPTURAL  BAPTISM        177 

you  ought  not  to  repudiate  it.  Go  back  to  it  and 
stay  with  it."  In  the  19th  chapter  of  the  Book 
of  Acts  we  find  the  New  Testament  authority  for 
reimmersion.  Paul  met,  as  the  record  there 
shows,  twelve  disciples  who  had  been  immersed, 
but  there  was  a  defect  which  made  their  immer- 
sion unscriptural.  So  they  were  immersed 
again  and  the  defect  was  corrected.  So  let  it 
ever  be.  Let  us  be  sure  as  to  the  proper  subject, 
the  proper  action,  the  proper  design,  and  the 
proper  administrator,  and  then  go  ahead.  With- 
out all  these  there  is  no  scriptural  baptism. 

"Down  to  the  sacred  wave 
The  Lord  of  life  was  led, 
And  he  who  came  our  souls  to  save 
In  Jordan  bowed  his  head. 

"Buried  in  Jordan  was  our  Lord 

As  well  as  in  the  tomb, 
And  in  obedience  to  his  word 

We  imitate  the  Lamb. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

"ONCE  IN  GRACE  ALWAYS  IN  GRACE." 

"Who  shall  separate  us  from  the  love  of 
Christ?"— Rom.  8:35. 

The  doctrine  of  this  sermon  is  what  is  com- 
monly called  "Once  in  Grace  Always  in  Grace." 
By  this  I  mean  that  if  a  man  should  be  made  a 
child  of  God  while  I  am  preaching,  that  man  is 
as  sure  of  heaven  at  last  as  if  he  were  already 
there.  Once  a  child  of  God  always  a  child  of 
God.  When  God  regenerates  a  man  he  does  a 
work  never  to  be  undone.     So, 

"I  to  the  end  shall  endure 
As  sure  as  the  earnest  is  given ; 
More  happy  but  not  more  secure 
Are  the  justified  spirits  in  heaven." 

Various  objections  are  made  to  this  doctrine, 
a  few  of  which  I  will  notice  first. 

Some  tell  us  that  angels  fell  and  lost  heaven 
and  are  now  in  hell.  "Surely,"  they  say,  "if  an- 
gels, good  and  pure,  thus  finally  apostatized,  so 
may  a  saint."  This  looks  plausible.  Angels  did 
fall  and  lose  heaven.  And  before  their  fall  they 
were  pure  and  good.  Now  they  are  hopelessly 
lost. 

But  let  us  see.  On  what  ground  did  angels 
stand?  Whatever  that  ground  was,  it  failed 
them  and  they  went  down.  They  stood  on  their 
own  goodness.  As  long  as  they  were  good  they 
maintained  their  place  in  heaven ;  but  when  they 

178 


ONCE  IN  GRACE  ALWAYS  IN  GRACE  179 

sinned  one  time  they  lost  that  goodness  and  down 
they  went  to  perdition.  "God  spared  not  the  an- 
gels that  sinned,  but  cast  them  down  to  hell." 

Christian,  if  God  had  dealt  that  way  with 
you  where  would  you  be  now?  You  would 
be  in  hell,  for  you  have  sinned  every  day  since 
your  conversion.  But  you  are  still  in  grace.  The 
difference  between  you  and  the  angels  is  this: 
They  stood  on  their  own  righteousness.  It  fail- 
ed and  they  went  down.  You  stand  on  the  right- 
eousness of  Christ.  It  cannot  fail,  and  there- 
fore you  cannot  go  down.  "Of  him  are  ye  in 
Christ  Jesus  who  of  God  is  made  unto  us  wis- 
dom, and  righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and 
redemption."— 1  Cor.  1 :30.  Christ  is  made 
your  righteousness. 

"But,"  we  are  told,  "Adam  and  Eve  in  the 
garden  of  Eden  were  righteous  and  perfect  and 
they  sinned  and  were  driven  out."  Yes;  and 
their  case  was  parallel  with  that  of  the  angels. 
They  stood  on  their  own  righteousness.  It  failed 
them  when  they  sinned  one  time,  and  they  were 
driven  out  of  the  garden.  God  does  not  deal  with 
us  as  with  them.  When  we  sin  "we  have  an  ad- 
vocate with  the  Father  Jesus  Christ  the  right- 
eous."— i  John  2:1.  We  rest  on  the  righteous- 
ness of  Jesus  Christ — not  on  our  own — and  we 
are  just  as  secure  from  going  down  as  is  the  foun- 
dation on  which  we  rest. 

"On  Christ  the  solid  rock,  I  stand." 
All  other  ground  is  sinking  sand." 


180        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

"But,"  says  a  man,  "I  can  show  you  in  the 
New  Testament  cases  where  Christ's  real  dis- 
ciples fell  and  were  lost.  Judas  Iscariot  is  a 
case.  He  was  a  disciple  of  the  Master.  He  was 
an  apostle.    But  he  fell  and  was  lost. 

This  looks  like  a  case  made  out.  But  the  fact 
is, — Judas  was  never  a  true  child  of  God.  He 
was  never  regenerated.  In  John  6 :  70,  Jesus 
said  to  the  twelve,  "Have  not  I  chosen  you  twelve 
and  one  of  you  IS  A  DEVIL?"  The  next  verse 
says  that  he  spoke  this  of  Judas  Iscariot.  Judas 
was  then  one  of  the  twelve.  He  was  spoken  of 
as  a  disciple.  But  he  was  not  a  child  of  God.  He 
was  a  devil.  Later  on  we  learn  that  he  was  a 
THIEF.  Let  us  read  from  John  12 :2-6,  "There 
they  made  him  a  supper:  and  Martha  served; 
but  Lazarus  was  one  of  them  that  sat  at  the 
table  with  him.  Then  took  Mary  a  pound  of 
ointment  of  spikenard,  very  costly,  and  anoint- 
ed the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  wiped  his  feet  with  her 
hair:  and  the  house  was  filled  with  the  odor  of 
the  ointment.  Then  saith  one  of  his  disciples, 
Judas  Iscariot,  Simon's  son,  which  should  be- 
tray him,  Why  was  not  this  ointment  sold  for 
three  hundred  pence,  and  given  to  the  poor?  This 
he  said,  not  that  he  cared  for  the  poor,  BUT  BE- 
CAUSE HE  WAS  A  THIEF,  and  had  the  bag, 
and  bare  what  was  put  therein."  This  does  not 
look  much  like  he  was  a  Christian,  does  it?  He 
was  a  devil  and  he  was  a  thief.  And  this  was  be- 
fore Satan  had  put  it  into  his  heart  to  betray 
Jesus. 


ONCE  IN  GRACE  ALWAYS  IN  GRACE  181 

In  the  seventeenth  chapter  of  John  we  find 
the  Savior  mentions  him  in  his  prayer  as  the  son 
of  perdition :  "Those  that  thou  gavest  me  I  have 
kept,  and  none  of  them  is  lost,  but  the  SON  OF 
PERDITION  that  the  Scriptures  might  be  ful- 
filled." John  17 :12.  In  Acts  1 :24,  25,  we  learn 
what  became  of  this  devil,  this  thief,  this  son  of 
perdition :  "And  they  prayed  and  said,  Thou, 
Lord  which  knowest  the  hearts  of  all  men,  show 
whether  of  these  two  thou  has  chosen,  that  he 
may  take  part  of  this  ministry  and  apostleship, 
from  which  Judas  by  transgression  fell,  that  he 
might  go  to  his  own  place."  Judas  fell  by  trans- 
gression, but  he  did  not  fall  from  grace  and  lose 
his  religion.  He  fell  from  the  ministry  and  from 
the  apostleship,  and  the  purpose  of  his  fall  was 
that  he  might  go  to  his  own  place.  He  was  not 
where  he  rightfully  belonged  and  he  transgress- 
ed and  fell  that  he  might  go  where  he  did  belong. 
He  was  a  devil;  he  was  a  thief;  he  was  the  son 
of  perdition.  He  died  and  went  to  perdition 
where  he  belonged.  Judas'  case  is  no  case  of 
apostasy  of  a  true  child  of  God.  He  was  never 
a  true  child  of  God. 

"But,"  says  another,  "I  find  where  persons 
departed  from  the  faith.  In  1  Tim.  4 :1,  2,  Paul 
says:  'Now  the  Spirit  speaketh  expressly,  that 
in  the  latter  times  some  shall  depart  from  the 
faith,  giving  heed  to  seducing  spirits  and  doc- 
trines of  devils :  speaking  lies  in  hypocrisy :  hav- 
ing their  conscience  seared  with  a  hot  iron.' 
They  could  not  depart  from  what  they  did  not 


182        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

have  and  their  conscience  could  not  become 
seared  as  described  unless  they  were  fully  and 
finally  lost." 

This  looks  like  a  case.  But  let  us  see.  I  be- 
lieve we  can  find  the  very  parties  of  whom  Paul 
speaks.  He  tells  of  what  shall  take  place  in  the 
latter  times.  In  1  John  2:18,  19,  we  read  the 
fulfillment:  "Little  children,  it  is  the  last  time, 
and  as  ye  have  heard  that  anti-Christ  shall  come, 
even  now  are  there  many  anti-Christs ;  whereby 
we  know  that  it  is  the  last  time.  THEY  WENT 
OUT  FROM  US,  (Paul  said,  'Many  shall  de- 
part'), but  they  were  not  of  us;  for  if  they  had 
been  of  us  they  would  no  doubt  have  continued 
with  us:  but  they  went  out  from  us  that  they 
might  be  made  manifest  that  they  were  not  all 
of  us."    So  they  never  were  real  saints. 

"Yes,  but  these  must  have  had  faith,  else  they 
could  not  have  departed  from  it,  and  if  they  had 
faith  they  were  real  children  of  God."  That 
would  be  true  if  they  had  saving  faith.  But  faith 
often  means  the  system  of  faith  or  doctrine.  In 
fact,  this  is  what  "the  faith"  generally  means. 
They  departed  from  the  doctrine.  You  know  one 
may  be  very  orthodox  in  doctrine  and  know  noth- 
ing about  the  faith  that  saves.  Robert  G.  Inger- 
soll  was  brought  up  to  believe  the  Bible,  but  he 
departed  from  that  teaching.  He  forsook  the 
faith  in  which  he  was  reared.  This  does  not 
mean  that  he  was  ever  a  true  Christian. 

"What  about  the  second  chapter  of  Second 
Peter?"    In  this  place  many  think  they  find  the 


ONCE  IN  GRACE  ALWAYS  IN  GRACE    183 

doctrine  of  ultimate  apostasy,  or  of  its  possibil- 
ity, beyond  a  doubt.    But  I  think  not.    The  cul- 
mination of  Peter's  argument  is  in  the  last  verse 
wherein  he  sums  up  the  character  of  the  apos- 
tates and  the  facts  concerning  them ;  "But  it  is 
happened  unto  them  according     to     the     true 
proverb,  The  dog  is  turned  to  his  vomit  again: 
and  the  sow  that  was  washed  to    her  wallowing 
in  the  mire."    When  a  dog  casts  forth  his  vomit, 
because  he  is  sick,  that  does  not  change  his  dog- 
nature,  nor  does  it  give  him  a  new  nature.     So 
when  a  sinner  gets  so  sick  of  some  of  his  evil 
habits  that  he  quits  them,  this  does    not  neces- 
sarily mean  that  his  nature  has  been  changed,  or 
that  he  has  been  made  a  partaker  of  the  divine 
nature.    When  a  filthy  sow  is  taken  and  washed 
from  the  filth  she  so  much  delights  in,  it  does  not 
change  her  nature  in  the  least,  nor  does  it  give 
her  a  new  nature.    She  is  the  same  sow  that  she 
was  before.     So  when  a  man  by  reformation  is 
made  outwardly  clean,  it  does  not  necessarily 
follow  that  his  old  nature  has  been  changed  or 
that  he  has  been  made  a  partaker  of  the  new 
nature.     This  was  just  the  case  with  these  peo- 
ple of  whom  Peter  speaks.    In  fact,  he  as  much 
as  tells  us  so.    He  says,  "It    is  happened    unto 
them  according  to  the  true  proverb."     What  is 
the  true  proverb?     "The  dog  is  turned  to  his 
OWN  vomit  again,"  and,  "the  sow     that    was 
washed  to  HER  wallowing  in  the  mire."    It  was 
just  as  natural  for  these  people  to  do  as  they  did, 
as  it  was  for  these  animals  to  do  as  they  did.  Is 


184        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

this  descriptive  of  one  who  has  been  born  again? 
Surely  not.  Nowhere  are  God's  children  spoken 
of  either  as  dogs  or  as  hogs. 

Many  other  objections  are  brought  against 
the  doctrine  of  "once  in  grace  always  in  grace," 
but  these  are  all  I  will  notice  just  now. 

My  first  reason  for  believing  in  the  doctrine 
of  "once  in  grace  always  in  grace"  is  the  nature 
of  the  new  birth.  The  new  birth  is  not  of  blood, 
nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh  nor  of  the 
will  of  man,  but  of  God.  See  John  1: 
13.  Being  made  a  child  of  God  is  not  a  mere 
form.  It  is  not  a  being  baptized.  It  is  not  simply 
turning  over  a  new  leaf  and  doing  better.  It  is 
a  being  born  from  above.  It  is  a  new  creation.  Je- 
sus said,  "Except  a  man  be  born  again  he  cannot 
see  the  kingdom  of  God."  When  one  is  thus 
born  again  he  is  as  truly  God's  child  as  he  was 
before  the  child  of  his  earthly  father.  As  he  was 
before  a  partaker  of  human  nature,  he  is  now  a 
partaker  of  the  divine  nature.  See  2  Peter  1:4. 
And  this  divine  nature  stays  with  him.  He  can 
no  more  be  separated  from  it  than  he  can  be 
separated  from  his  human  nature. 

The  fact  that  he  is  the  son  of  his  earthly 
father  cannot  be  undone.  No  more  can  the  fact 
that  he  is  the  son  of  his  Heavenly  Father  be  un- 
done. Once  a  child  of  God  always  a  child  of  God. 
In  1  John  3  :9  we  have  this :  "Whosoever  is  born 
of  God  doth  not  commit  sin :  for  his  seed  remain- 
eth  in  him :  and  he  cannot  sin,  because  he  is  born 
of  God."     Everv  Christian  man  is  two  men.  He 


ONCE  IN  GRACE  ALWAYS  IN  GRACE  185 

is  the  son  of  Adam  and  as  such  has  the  old 
Adam  nature.  He  is  a  son  of  God.  And  as  such 
has  the  "Divine  nature."  As  Adam's  son,  having 
Adam's  nature,  he  sins  every  day.  As  the  son  of 
God,  being  made  a  partaker  of  the  Divine  na- 
ture, he  can  no  more  sin  than  Christ  can  sin.  For 
this  reason  his  final  apostasy  is  utterly  impossi- 
ble. 

God  the  Father  loves  his  children  with  more 
than  a  mother's  affection.  How  wonderful  is  a 
mother's  love!  Poets  have  written  about  it: 
orators  have  discoursed  in  burning  words  con- 
cerning it :  but  only  she  and  God  know  its  depths. 
If  her  son  goes  astray  her  love  and  her  prayers 
will  follow  him,  and  when  all  others  have  for- 
saken him  she  still  believes  in  him  and  believes 
that  in  some  way  he  will  be  brought  back  to  the 
right.  She  would  willingly  die  for  him.  And 
yet  a  mother  may  forsake  her  children.  Let  us 
read:  "But  Zion  said,  The  Lord  hath  forsaken 
me  and  my  Lord  hath  forgotten  me.  Can  a 
woman  forget  her  sucking  child  that  she  should 
not  have  compassion  on  the  son  of  her  womb? 
Yea,  they  may  forget,  yet  will  I  not  forget  thee. 
Behold  I  have  graven  thee  on  the  palms  of  my 
hands." — Isa.  49:14-16.  After  the  mother  has 
forsaken  her  children  God  still  clings  to  his.  He 
has  graven  their  names  on  the  palms  of  his 
hands  and  as  Toplady  expresses  it, 

"My  name  from  the  palms  of  His  hands, 
Eternity  can  not  erase."  4 


186        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

So  it  is  that  John  says,  "Beloved,  now  are  we 
the  sons  of  God,  and  it  doth  not  yet  appear  what 
we  shall  be,  but  we  know  that  when  he  shall  ap- 
pear, we  shall  be  like  him,  for  we  shall  see  him 
as  he  is."— 1  John  3 :2. 

My  second  reason  for  believing  this  doctrine, 
as  I  give  it  here,  is  the  exceeding  rich  and  gra- 
cious promises.  Take  for  instance  John  6 :37. 
"All  that  the  Father  giveth  me  shall  come  to  me, 
and  him  that  cometh  to  me,  I  will  in  no  wise  cast 
out."  Suppose  one  who  comes  should  be  cast  out 
and  be  lost  in  hell?  Where  would  this  promise 
be?  Jesus  said,  "I  will  in  no  wise — under  no  cir- 
cumstances— cast  out  a  single  one  that  comes."  I 
might  believe  a  great  many  things.  I  might  be- 
lieve that  some  day  the  sun  will  cease  to  shine; 
that  some  day  the  moon  will  no  more  make  her 
way  across  the  face  of  the  skies;  that  some  day 
the  stars  shall  be  no  more ;  that  some  day  the  en- 
tire universe  shall  subside  into  nothingness  as 
does  the  bubble  upon  the  ocean  wave  that  bears 
it — but  never,  never,  NEVER,  so  long  as  Je- 
sus has  said,  "Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in 
no  wise  cast  out"  can  I  believe  that  the  hum- 
blest and  weakest  child  in  all  the  good  Father's 
family  shall  so  sin  and  fall  as  to  be  eternally 
lost. 

Another  promise  is  found  in  Col.  3:3,  4, 
"For  ye  are  dead,  and  your  life  is  hid  with  Christ 
in  God.  When  Christ  who  is  our  life,  shall 
appear,  then  shall  ye  also  appear  with  him  in 
glory."     Notice  where  our  life  is.     It  is  hidden 


ONCE  IN  GRACE  ALWAYS  IN  GRACE    187 

in  God.  It  is  with  Christ.  It  is  Christ.  And 
can  Satan  scale  heaven's  mountain,  and  climb 
over  the  parapet  which  surrounds  the  throne, 
and  press  through  the  angelic  bodyguard,  and 
ascend  the  steps  to  the  throne,  and  reach  out  his 
slimy  hand  and  thrust  his  cruel  claws  into  the 
heart  of  the  Father  and  snatch  therefrom  the 
treasure  which  heaven  is  pledged  to  keep  for- 
ever?"    Surely  not;  surely  not! 

"Well,  if  I  believed  that  doctrine,  I  would  do 
just  as  I  pleased.    I  would  take  my  fill  of  sin." 

And  you  claim  to  be  a  Christian?  How  much 
sin  does  it  take  to  fill  a  Christian?  If  a  Christian 
could  do  just  as  he  pleased,  would  he  not  please 
to  do  the  will  of  God?  The  surest  sign  that  one 
is  a  Christian  is  that  he  has  the  spirit  of  Christ, 
and  that  spirit  seeks  always  to  know  and  to  do 
the  Lord's  will.  If  you  are  refraining  from  sin 
simply  because  you  are  afraid  of  hell,  the  best 
thing  for  you  to  do  is  to  repent  and  believe  the 
gospel.  You  are  not  yet  a  Christian,  and  you 
know  nothing  about  either  saving  grace  or  pre- 
serving grace. 

"But  when  Christians  sin,  as  you  admit  they 
do,  and  go  astray,  may  they  not  continue  astray 
till  they  are  finally  lost?"  Well,  that  depends. 
If  they  were  left  to  themselves  the  case  would  be 
hopeless;  but — "How  think  ye?  If  a  MAN  have 
a  hundred  sheep,  and  one  of  THEM  be  gone 
astray,  doth  he  not  leave  the  ninety  and  nine, 
and  goeth  into  the  mountains  and  seeketh  that 
which  is  gone  astray?" — Matt.  18:  12-14.     Sure- 


18  8        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

ly,  if  a  man  is  thus  careful  about  one  sheep,  the 
good  Shepherd  will  be  careful  about  his  flock. 
He  will  follow  the  weakest  lamb  that  goes  astray 
and  never  cease  following  till  he  finds  it  and 
brings  it  back.  Let  us  read  again :  In  the  tenth 
chapter  of  John,  Jesus  speaks  of  himself  as  the 
Good  Shepherd  and  of  his  people  as  the  sheep. 
This  is  what  he  says :  "My  sheep  hear  my  voice, 
and  I  know  them,  and  they  follow  me ;  and  I  give 
unto  them  eternal  life."  What  kind  of  life  is 
this?  How  long  will  it  continue?  It  is  eternal 
life.  It  is  not  life  which  we  have  today  and 
which  ceases  to  be  tomorrow,  or  the  next  year, 
or  the  next  century.    It  is  life  without  end. 

"Yes,"  says  a  man,  "One  may  have  eternal  life 
and  that  life  will  not  cease  to  be,  but  he  may  lose 
it  and  cease  to  have  it.  It  is  like  this:  A  man 
may  own  forty  acres  of  land  on  which  is  an  ever- 
lasting spring.  He  may  lose  the  land,  fool  it 
away,  and  so  lose  the  everlasting  spring.  Of 
course  the  spring  is  still  everlasting,  but  the  man 
hasn't  got  it.  Just  so  a  man  may  lose  his  eter- 
nal life." 

Very  ingenious  indeed.  I  imagine  that  Jesus 
foresaw  this  very  argument,  and  so  he  guarded 
against  it.  Let  us  read  again :  "I  give  unto  my 
sheep  eternal  life  and  they  shall  NEVER 
PERISH."    John  10  :27,  28. 

"His  honor  is  engaged  to  save 

The  meanest  of  His  sheep." 
"When  the  children  of  God  go  astray,  how 
does  he  go  after  them  and     bring  them  back?" 


ONCE  IN  GRACE  ALWAYS  IN  GRACE    189 

Suppose  a  mother  has  a  three  year  old  boy  who, 
every  time  the  yard  gate  is  open,  slips  out  and 
runs  away?  What  does  she  do?  She  will  go 
after  him  because  she  loves  him.  At  the  first  she 
will  probably  only  chide  him  for  running  away. 
In  a  day  or  two  he  commits  the  same  offense 
again.  In  the  exercise  of  mother  love  and  care, 
she  goes  after  him  again.  This  time  she  per- 
haps chides  him  somewhat  sharply.  In  a  week 
or  so  he  again  slips  out  and  is  gone.  This  time 
when  she  goes  after  him  and  finds  him,  she  is  per- 
haps somewhat  severe.  Possibly  she  may  try 
what  virtue  there  is  in  the  business  end  of  a  good 
switch.  And  so  she  brings  him  back.  Thus  her 
love  will  follow  after  that  boy  as  long  as  he  lives 
and  as  she  lives.  But  she  may  fail  to  get  him  to 
be  finally  what  she  wants  him  to  be.  But  God 
will  never  finally  so  fail  with  any  of  his.  When 
his  children  go  astray  he  goes  after  them. 
"Whom  the  Lord  loveth  he  chasteneth  and 
scourgeth  every  son  whom  he  receiveth.  If  ye  en- 
dure chastening,  God  dealeth  with  you  as  with 
sons.  .  .  .  But  if  ye  be  without  chastisement 
whereof  all  are  partakers,  then  are  ye  bastards 
and  not  sons." — Heb.  12 :  6-8.  If  you  can  do  wrong 
and  not  suffer,  you  are  not  God's  child.  The  most 
wretched  man  in  the  country  is  the  real  child  of 
God,  who  is  living  in  sin.  His  Father  makes 
him  miserable.  He  lays  his  hand  heavily  upon 
him.  He  may  take  away  his  treasures.  He  may 
blight  his  hopes;  he  may  bring  his  ambitious 
projects  to  naught ;  he  may  prostrate  him  on    a 


190        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

bed  of  affliction ;  he  may  break  his  neck,  if  need 
be.  All  to  bring  him  back  to  what  he  ought  to 
be.  Now  let  us  read  from  the  eighty-ninth  Psalm : 
"If  his  children  forsake  my  law,  and  walk  not  in 
my  judgments;  if  they  break  my  statutes,  and 
keep  not  my  commandments;  then  will  I  visit 
their  transgression  with  the  rod,  and  their  in- 
iquity with  stripes.  Nevertheless,  my  loving 
kindness  will  I  not  utterly  take  from  him  nor 
suffer  my  faithfulness  to  fail."— Ps.  89:  30-33. 
Whatever  is  needed  to  bring  them  back,  that  he 
lays  upon  them;  and  he  never  finally  fails.  Let 
us  read  Psalms  37 :  23,  24 :  "The  steps  of  a  good 
man  are  ordered  by  the  Lord :  and  he  delighteth 
in  his  way.  Though  he  fall,  he  shall  not  be  utter- 
ly cast  down;  for  the  Lord  upholdeth  him  with 
his  hand."  Thus  have  I  given  you  just  a  little  of 
the  testimony  which  tells  us  of  God's  keeping 
grace.  As  the  climax  of  this  sermon  I  wish  now 
to  quote  Konians  8 :28-39 : 

"And  we  know  that  all  things  work  together 
for  good  to  them  that  love  God,  to  them  who  are 
the  called  according  to  his  purpose.  For  whom  he 
did  foreknow,  he  also  did  predestinate  to  be  con- 
formed to  the  image  of  his  Son,  that  he  might 
be  the  first  born  among  many  brethren.  More- 
over, whom  he  did  predestinate,  them  he  also 
called;  and  whom  he  called,  them  he  also  justi- 
fied; and  whom  he  justified,  them  he  also  glori- 
fied. What  shall  we  then  say  to  these  things? 
If  God  be  for  us,  who  can  be  against  us?  He 
that  spared  not  his  own  Son,  but  delivered  him 


ONCE  IN  GRACE  ALWAYS  IN  GRACE    191 

up  for  us  all,  how  shall  he  not  with  him  also  free- 
ly give  us  all  things?  Who  shall  lay  anything 
to  the  charge  of  God's  elect?  It  is  God  that  jus- 
tifieth.  Who  is  he  that  condemneth?  It  is  Christ 
that  died,  yea,  rather,  that  is  risen  again,  who  is 
even  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  who  also  niaketh 
intercession  for  us. 

"Who  shall  separate  us  from  the  love  of 
Christ?  Shall  tribulations  or  distress,  or  perse- 
cution, or  famine,  or  nakedness,  or  peril,  or 
sword?  As  it  is  written,  For  thy  sake  we  are  kill- 
ed all  the  day  long;  we  are  accounted  as  the 
sheep  for  the  slaughter.  Nay  in  all  these  things 
we  are  more  than  conquerors  through  him  that 
loved  us.  For  I  am  persuaded,  that  neither 
death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  nor 
powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come, 
nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other  creature, 
shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God, 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord." 

"How  firm  a  foundation  ye  saints  of  the  Lord, 

Is  laid  for  your  faith  in  His  excellent  word ; 

What  more  can  He  say  than  to  you  He  has 
said, 

You,  who  unto  Jesus  for  refuge  have  fled? 

"The  soul  that  on  Jesus  hath  leaned  for  re- 
pose, 

I  will  not,  I  will  not,  desert  to  His  foes ; 

That  soul,  though  all  hell  should  endeavor  to 
shake, 

I'll  never,  no  never,  no  never,  forsake." 


CHAPTER  V. 

WHAT  AMERICA  OWES  TO  BAPTISTS. 

Address  delivered  at  Old  Bethel  Church 
Centennial,  observed  Wednesday,  September  1, 
1909,  at  Old  Bethel  Church,  St.  Clair  County. 
Published  by  vote  of  the  meeting. — C.  H.) 

America  is  great.  It  is  a  great  thing  to  be  an 
American.  Every  true  American  would  rather 
be  what  he  is,  a  citizen  of  the  great  republic,  than 
to  be  a  titled  personage  or  even  a  prince,  in  any 
other  country  under  the  sun. 

America  is  the  land,  in  the  first  place,  where 
every  man  is  free  to  worship  God  as  his  consci- 
ence may  dictate.  One  of  the  bottom  planks  of 
the  true  American  platform  is  that  the  state 
must  keep  its  hands  off  the  conscience.  If  a  man 
is  a  Christian,  well  and  good.  If  he  belongs  to 
any  sect  of  Christians,  the  state  still  says,  well 
and  good.  If  a  man  is  not  a  Christian  at  all,  if 
he  rejects  the  Bible,  still  the  government  says  it 
has  no  right  to  interfere  with  him. 

Robert  G.  Ingersoll  in  his  day  could  talk  as 
he  pleased.  He  could  make,  what  many  consider, 
his  terrific  onslaughts  on  the  Bible  and  none 
could  say  him  nay.  If  a  man  wanted  to  hear  him 
and  follow  him  and  go  back  on  the  religion  of  his 
fathers,  the  state  would  not  interfere.  If  a  Mo- 
hammedan wants  to  build  a  mosque  on  his 
own  land  with  his  own  money,  he  is  free  to  do  so 
in  this  country.  If  the  Chinaman  wants  his  joss 
house  and  can  find  a  place  to  put  it,  he  may  wor- 

192 


WHAT  AMERICA  OWES  TO  BAPTISTS  193 

ship  in  it  as  he  pleases,  and  no  man  dares  to  mo- 
lest him  or  make  him  afraid.  If  the  Buddhist 
wants  to  build  a  temple  in  New  York  or  in  San 
Francisco,  or  in  St.  Clair  county,  there  is  no  law 
to  prevent  his  doing  so,  if  he  can  find  the  means 
with  which  to  do  so. 

In  this  great  country  thought  is  free ;  religion 
is  free ;  the  conscience  is  free.  We  have  it,  as  the 
prophet  said  long  ago,  "All  people  will  walk  ev- 
eryone in  the  name  of  his  God,  and  we  will  walk 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord  our  God  for  ever  and 
ever."  "They  shall  sit  every  man  under  his  vine 
and  under  his  fig  tree ;  and  none  shall  make  him 
afraid." 

America  is  a  land  where  every  man  is  part  of 
the  government.  Our  nation  is  based  on  the  idea 
that  all  men  are  born  free  and  equal,  so  far  as 
the  law  is  concerned.  Every  man,  who  comes  to 
see  the  daylight  under  our  stars,  is  free  and  is  a 
prince  waiting  for  his  kingdom  until  the  day  of 
his  majority  when  he  becomes  a  king.  This  was 
not  always  the  case.  The  time  was  when  we  had 
slavery  in  this  great  republic.  Millions  of  men 
and  women  were  held  as  property  and  were  sold 
as  horses  and  cattle,  under  the  protection  of  the 
stars  and  stripes.  It  was  held  that  the  black 
man  was  born  inferior  to  his  white  brother  and 
was  destined  to  be  "  a  servant  of  servants  to  his 
brethren." 

But  since  the  war  of  the  'sixties  all  this  is 
changed.  Every  man,  regardless  of  race,  color 
or  previous  condition  of  servitude,  is  a  free  man, 


194        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

and  before  hini  the  avenues  are  open.  To  every 
one  America  means  opportunity.  The  path  to 
wealth  is  open,  and  every  man,  as  he  seeks  it,  has 
the  protection  of  the  strongest  government  under 
the  sun,  while  he  seeks  it  honestly.  The  path  to 
learning  is  open.  The  children  of  the  poorest 
may  enter  the  school  house  and  there  obtain  the 
keys  of  knowledge  which  will  open  to  them  the 
wonders  of  the  world.  Our  free  school  system 
in  every  state  is  for  all ;  and  I  say,  "Palsied  be 
the  hand  and  silent  the  tongue"  that  would  seek 
to  destroy  the  American  idea  of  free  education 
for  all.  We  have  said  in  the  past: 
"Come  along,  come  along ;  make  no  delay ; 
Come  from  every  nation,  come  from  every  way; 
Bring  your  books  and  slates  along  and  don't  be 

a  fool, 
For  Uncle  Sam  is  rich  enough  to  send  us  all  to 
school." 

And  so  with  limitations  let  us  continue  to 
say.  I  believe  the  time  is  here  when  greater  re- 
strictions shoTild  be  placed  on  foreign  immigra- 
tion ;  not  that  I  want  a  Chinese  wall  to  shut  out 
the  worthy,  come  from  wheresoever  they  may; 
but  there  are  strangers  who  are  passing  freely 
through  our  gates  and  bringing  with  them  no- 
tions and  habits  which  mean  harm  to  our  coun- 
try. 

The  path  of  honor  is  open  to  all.  In  some 
countries  the  boy  must  be  brought  up  to  the 
trade  or  calling  of  his  father.  If  the  father  lives 
with  his  nose  on  the  grindstone,  so  must  the  son 


WHAT  AMERICA  OWES  TO  BAPTISTS  195 

live,  but  in  our  country  the  son  born  of  the  poor- 
est parentage,  may  reach  the  highest  place  of 
preferment.  And  the  fact  that  a  candidate  for 
honors  is  of  what  men  call  humble  origin,  is  not 
in  his  way  when  he  comes  before  the  people.  A 
few  years  ago  when  the  present  governor  of 
Minnesota  (Governor  Johnson)  was  a  candidate 
for  the  office  of  chief  magistrate  for  that  com- 
monwealth, some  of  the  opposite  party  under- 
took to  defeat  him  by  circulating  the  story  that 
he  was  a  child  of  the  poor  house.  The  result  was 
that  though  he  was  the  candidate  of  the  minority 
party,  he  was  overwhelmingly  elected. 

We  all  know  about  the  boyhood  of  Lincoln 
and  Garfield  and  Jackson  and  Johnson  and  Hen- 
ry Clay  and  a  host  of  others.  In  America  "a  man's 
a  man  for  a'  that,"  and  is  entitled  to  all  the  good 
there  is,  and  to  all  is  open  the  road  that  leads 
to  the  good— PROVIDED  that  in  going  after 
the  good  and  in  occupying  the  road  he  must  not 
interfere  with  the  rights  of  his  neighbor.  He  is 
entitled  to  all  that  his  neighbor  is  entitled  to, 
and  his  neighbor  is  entitled  to  all  that  he  is  en- 
titled to.  I  may  do  as  I  please  with  my  own,  if 
I  do  not  injure  my  neighbor.  I  may  strike  out 
with  my  fist  as  I  please,  but  if  I  strike  so  far  as 
to  hit  my  neighbor's  nose,  I  have  gone  beyond  the 
limit.  My  liberty  ends  where  my  neighbor's 
rights  begin.  I  must  have  an  eye  to  my  neigh- 
bor's rights. 

True  Americanism  means  the  golden  rule : 
"All  things  whatsoever  ve     would     that     men 


19  6        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

should  do  to  you  do  ye  even  so  to  them."  "Thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  I  am  not 
required  to  love  my  neighbor  more  than  I  do  my- 
self, but  to  love  him  as  myself.  I  want  every 
good  thing  there  is  for  myself,  and  I  want  every 
good  thing  there  is  for  my  neighbor.  I  must 
love  my  enemy,  so  as  to  desire  his  good ;  but  I  am 
not  required  to  love  him  as  I  do  myself  or  my 
neighbor.  My  neighbor  is  my  benefactor,  and 
every  true  American  is  a  benefactor  to  every  oth 
er  true  American,  because  each  stands  for  the 
protection  and  welfare  of  the  other. 

America  is  the  most  rapidly  growing  of  all 
the  nations.  It  has  the  best  institutions.  It  is 
the  wealthiest  nation  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  It 
has  before  it  the  happiest  outlook  of  any  nation 
in  the  world. 

My  topic  today  is,  What  America  Owes  to 
Baptists.  My  answer  to  this  question  is,  Near- 
ly Everything.  It  is  true  that  the  Western  Con- 
tinent was  discovered  by  a  Roman  Catholic,  but 
our  national  greatness  and  principles  and  liber- 
ty did  not  come  from  that  source.  All  our  dis- 
tinctive ideas,  which  are  worth  holding,  were 
held  by  Baptists,  long  before  any  other  people  on 
earth  had  dreamed  of  them  as  possible.  When, 
the  world  over,  nearly  everybody  held  that  the 
church  and  state  should  be  united,  the  Baptists 
said,  No.  During  the  middle  ages  when  the 
voice  of  the  pope  was  to  the  people  who  submit- 
ted to  him  as  the  voice  of  God,  with  the  Baptists 
the  voice  of  the  people  under  God  has  always 


WHAT  AMERICA  OWES  TO  BAPTISTS  19  7 

been  paramount.  In  all  Baptist  ecclesiology 
there  is  no  court  which  can  reverse  the  voice  of 
the  people.  In  the  church  Baptists  make  all  men 
free  and  equal.  Each  member  of  the  church  has 
a  voice  equal  to  that  of  every  other  member.  So 
our  people  interpret  the  Bible  and  so  they  prac- 
tice. There  is  no  king  but  King  Jesus.  There 
is  no  nobility  except  that  of  character.  There  is 
no  true  greatness  except  that  which  serves. 
When  Judas,  by  transgression,  fell  from  his 
apostleship  that  he  might  go  to  his  own  place,  his 
successor  was  not  chosen  by  the  apostles,  but  by 
the  whole  company  of  disciples  which  made  up 
that  first  church  of  Jerusalem. 

In  that  same  church,  when  deacons  were  to 
be  chosen  to  have  charge  of  the  financial  prob- 
lems which  had  arisen,  they  were  chosen  by  the 
whole  company  of  the  church  membership.    Uni- 
versal suffrage  was  the  rule  of  the  first  church. 
If  a  brother  is  to  be  excluded  from  church  mem 
bership,  he  is  not  put  out  simply  by  the  voice 
of  the  ofiicials,  but  all  the  members  are  entitled 
to  vote,  and  if  they  say  that  he  must  go  out,  out 
he  must  go.     He  is  then  without  part  or  lot  in 
the  privileges  of  church  membership.    In  a  Bap- 
tist church  today  every  member  has  his  voice. 
If  a  pastor  is  to  be  called,  or  if  some  policy  of 
work  is  proposed,  or  if  any  action  of  any  kind 
is  to  be  taken,  the  poorest,  the  most  ignorant,  the 
youngest,  has  his  voice.     And  in  the  result  his 
voice  counts  for  as  much  as  does  that  of  the  rich- 
est, the  oldest  or  the  most  learned.    If  a  man  ex- 


198        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

ercises  any  power  beyond  his  own  vote,  it  is  sim- 
ply because  of  the  influence  which  he  may  have 
over  others.  If  he  can  induce  another  to  vote  his 
way  that  is  his  privilege,  but  there  is  no  compul- 
sion. Every  man  is  free.  "In  Christ  Jesus  there 
is  neither  Jew  nor  Greek,  bond  or  free,  male  nor 
female;  ye  are  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus." 

The  story  is  told  that  when  Thomas  Jefferson 
was  studying  the  problem  of  government  and 
considering  what  method  of  government  would 
be  best  for  the  new  republic,  he  visited  a  little 
Baptist  church  in  the  country  and  attended  its 
business  meeting.  He  there  saw  the  position 
held  by  the  pastor  as  moderator  and  the  power 
held  by  the  people,  and  his  mind  was  made  up. 
Thomas  Jefferson  held  to  the  idea  of  human 
equality  and  fraternity  and  here  was  a  govern- 
ment based  upon  the  idea.  True  it  was  ecclesi- 
astical but  it  would  apply  equally  well  to  the 
secular;  and  so  we  have  this  land  of  the  free  in 
which  both  civil  and  religious  liberty  prevail 
and  in  which  every  citizen  is  the  equal  of  his 
brother.  And  this  America  owes  to  the  Bap- 
tists. 

Another  thing  America  owes  to  the  Batpists 
is  the  idea  of  local  self  government  Wherever 
you  find  a  Baptist  church  you  will  find  an  inde- 
pendent organization.  It  controls  its  own  af- 
fairs. It  is  independent  in  the  management  of 
its  local  concerns.  No  other  church,  however 
rich  or  strong  or  great,  can  interfere  with  it.  Un- 
der the  King  it  is  sovereign.  Each  Baptist  church 


WHAT  AMERICA  OWES  TO  BAPTISTS  199 

is  an  independent  republic.  The  Baptist  idea  is 
liberty  for  the  individual  and  liberty  for  the 
community.  So  we  have  the  American  idea 
which  permits  communities  to  govern  them- 
selves. True  Americanism  means  the  largest 
liberty  for  the  individual  and  the  largest  liberty 
for  the  local  community  consistent  with  the  safe- 
ty of  the  state. 

Another  thing  America  owes  to  the  Baptists 
in  large  measure  is  the  destruction  of  human 
slavery.  It  is  true  that  when  we  had  slavery  we 
had  Baptist  churches,  but  every  Baptist  church 
everywhere,  whether  its  members  so  understood 
or  not,  was  a  protest  against  slavery.  The  free 
government  of  the  church,  the  equality  of  its 
members,  their  brotherhood  in  Christ  Jesus,  the 
golden  rule  which  Jesus  had  given,  all  were  a 
protest  against  human  slavery.  This  old  Bethel 
church,  whose  centennial  we  are  here  to  cele- 
brate, was  organised  as  an  anti-slavery  church. 
James  Lemen,  Sr.,  whose  monument  we  unveil 
tomorrow,  was  opposed  to  slavery.  Dr.  J.  M. 
Peck,  the  founder  of  Shurtleff  college,  says  this 
about  him :  "Our  subject  was  a  born  anti-slavery 
leader,  and  by  his  Christian  and  friendly  argu- 
ments he  induced  scores  of  masters  in  Virginia 
to  free  their  slaves.  This  quickly  caught  Jeffer- 
son's attention,  and  he  freely  confessed  that  Mr. 
Lemen's  influence  on  him  had  redoubled  his  dis- 
like for  slavery,  and  though  himself  a  slave  hold- 
er he  most  earnestly  denounced  the  institution.'' 
Mr.  Jefferson  freely  confessed  that  to  James  Le- 


200        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

men,  Sr.,  was  due  the  fact  that  an  anti-slavery 
clause  was  inserted  in  the  ordinance  of  1787.  So 
in  the  transfer  of  our  great  northwestern  terri- 
tory to  the  United  States  regard  was  had  to  an 
anti-slavery  provision.  Mr.  Jefferson  further 
says:  "Before  any  one  had  ever  mentioned  the 
matter  James  Lemen,  by  reason  of  his  devotion 
to  anti-slavery  principles  suggested  to  me  that 
we  (Virginia)  make  the  transfer  and  that  sla- 
very be  excluded;  and  it  so  impressed  and  in- 
fluenced me  that  whatever  is  due  me  as  credit  for 
my  share  in  the  matter  is  largely  if  not  wholly, 
due  to  James  Lemen's  advice  and  most  righteous 
counsel."  Then  speaking  of  Mr.  Lemen's  work 
in  the  northwestern  territory  Mr.  Jeffrson  went 
on  to  say:  "His  record  in  the  new  country  has 
fully  justified  my  course  in  inducing  him  to  set- 
tle there  with  the  view  of  properly  shaping 
events  in  the  best  interests  of  the  people."  Dr. 
Peck  tells  us  still  further  about  Mr.  Lemen  as 
follows :  "Mr.  Lemen  created  the  first  eight  Bap- 
tist churches  in  Illinois,  having  them  especially 
declare  against  slavery  and  intemperance.  When 
General  William  Henry  Harrison  became  gover- 
nor he  and  his  territorial  council  went  over  to 
pro-slavery  influences  and  demands,  and  carried 
Mr.  Lemen's  seven  churches,  which  he  had  then 
created,  with  them.  For  some  months  he  labor- 
ed to  call  them  to  anti-slavery  grounds,  but  fail- 
ing, he  declared  for  a  division  and  created  his 
eighth  church,  now  Bethel,  near  Collinsville,  on 
strictly  anti-slavery  grounds,  and     this     event 


WHAT  AMERICA  OWES  TO  BAPTISTS  201 

opened  the  anti-slavery  contest  in  1809  which  fi- 
nally in  1818  led  to  the  election  of  an  anti-sla- 
very convention  which  gave  Illinois  a  free  state 
constitution. 

Jefferson  warmly     approved     Mr.     Lenien's 
movement  and  sent  his  new  church  twenty  dol- 
lars, which  with  a  fund  which  the  members  col- 
lected and  gave,  was  finally  transferred  to    the 
church  treasury  without  disclosing     Jefferson's 
identity.    This  was  done  in  order  not  to  disturb 
his  friendly  relations  with  the  extreme  South. 
But  Jefferson  made  no  secret  of  his  antipathy  for 
slavery,  though  unwilling  that  the  facts  should 
be  known  that  he  sent  James  Lemen  to  the  new 
country  especially  to  defend  it  against  slavery, 
as  he  knew  it  would  arouse  the  resentment  of 
the  extreme  pro-slavery  element  against     both 
him  and  his  agent  and  probably     defeat     their 
movement,    In  the  contest  as  to  whether  Illinois 
should  come  into  the  union  a  free  state  or  a  slave 
state,  James  Lemen,  Sr.,  was  in  the  forefront  of 
the  battle  with  the  forces  which  stood  for  free- 
dom, and  was  no  doubt  the  greatest  factor    in 
bringing  the  victory  against  slave  sentiment.    So 
Illinois,  the  keystone  in  the  arch  of  states,  came 
into  the  union  clear  of  slavery.     And  this  was 
due  to  the  leadership  of  James  Lemen,  Sr.,  a  stal- 
wart Baptist.     Thus  the  state  which  furnished 
Abraham  Lincoln  as  president  and  U.  S.  Grant 
as  leader  of  our  forces  in  the  war  of  the  'sixties, 
was  on  the  side  of  union  and  freedom  when  the 
great  war  came  instead  of  being  with  the  states 


202        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

which  sought  to  break  up  the  union.     And  this 
America  owes  to  the  Baptists. 

Another  thing  which  America  owes  the 
Baptists  is  the  prevalence  of  temperance  senti- 
ment, and  which  in  community  after  community, 
and  state  after  state  is  wiping  out  the  liquor 
traffic.  I  am  told  that  the  first  temperance  res- 
olution as  well  as  the  first  anti-slavery  resolu- 
tion, ever  adopted  by  a  public  meeting  in  Ameri- 
ca was  adopted  by  Baptists.  The  churches  found- 
ed by  James  Lemen,  Sr.,  in  Illinois  were  all  ar- 
rayed against  intemperance  as  well  as  slavery. 
And  it  is  a  fact  that  nearly  every  Baptist  church 
in  the  United  States  taboos  both  the  drinking 
and  selling  of  intoxicating  liquors.  In  the  New 
Hampshire  Covenant,  which  is  the  one  most  gen- 
erally adopted  when  Baptist  churches  are  con- 
stituted, I  find  this :  "We  engage  to  abstain  from 
the  sale  and  use  of  intoxicating  liquors  as  a  bev- 
erage." Thus  it  is  that  every  true  Baptist  church 
is  an  anti-liquor  society  and  that  every  Baptist 
preacher  who  is  true  to  his  calling  stands  for  so- 
briety and  for  the  destruction  of  the  whisky  traf- 
fic. If  there  is  anything  in  this  world  that  makes 
me  tired,  that  thing  is  to  find  a  Baptist  church 
lax  on  the  temperance  question.  If  there  is  any- 
thing that  makes  me  thoroughly  ashamed,  that 
thing  is  to  find  a  Baptist  preacher  who  is  not 
outspoken  against  the  curse  of  curses.  Every 
Baptist  church,  if  true  to  its  principles,  is  a 
bulwark  against  the  encroachments  of  the  drink- 
ing saloon.     Every  member  of     every     Baptist 


WHAT  AMERICA  OWES  TO  BAPTISTS  203 

church  claims  to  have  been  to  the  cross  and  to 
have  been  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb ;  and 
if  that  will  not  make  a  good  man  or  a  good  wom- 
an, nothing  else  under  the  heavens  will.  So  I 
maintain  that  a  Baptist  church  ought  to  be  the 
best  society  on  earth ;  and  so  it  is  that  people  ex- 
pect great  things  of  you  Baptists,  and  so  it  is 
that  they  scoff  at  you  and  scorn  you  when  you 
fall  below  what  they  expect  by  arraying  your- 
selves with  the  forces  of  evil.  Take  the  states 
where  Baptists  are  strongest  and  there  you  will 
find  the  best  temperance  sentiment,  Take  Geor- 
gia ;  take  Alabama ;  take  Mississippi ;  take  North 
Carolina;  take  Tennessee.  In  all  these  states 
the  liquor  business  is  outlawed. 

Another  thing  America  owes  to  the  Baptists 
is  that  sturdy  American  sense  of  manly  inde- 
pendence and  that  sense  of  fair  play  which  is 
willing  to  allow  men  to  work  out  their  destiny. 
The  Baptists  hold  that  a  man  must  come  to 
Christ  for  himself.  They  believe  in  training 
children  aright  and  in  the  education  of  the 
young,  but  they  believe  that  each  one  when  he 
comes  to  the  years  of  accountability  must  decide 
his  religious  course  for  himself.  Hence  we  do 
not  bring  infants  into  the  church.  We  do  not 
baptize  them.  We  do  not  believe  in  what  they 
call  "Federal  Holiness"  which  makes  children 
church  members  because  their  parents  are 
church  members.  When  the  man  of  sin  sat 
prince  of  kings  and  from  his  throne  of  darkness 
ruled  the  world,  Baptists,  hidden  away  though 


204        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.   THROGMORTON 

they  were,  cried  from  their  hiding  places,  and 
maintained  that  the  state  should  be  free  from 
the  church  and  that  the  church  should  be  free 
from  the  state.  They  said,  Hands  off  the  con- 
science. When  Luther  and  the  other  reformers 
came  out  of  Rome,  they  failed  to  come  all  the 
way.  They  still  held  to  a  union  of  church  and 
state,  and  they  still  held  to  a  practice  whose 
whole  tendency  is  to  obliterate  the  line  between 
the  visible  kingdom  of  God  and  the  world.  In- 
fant baptism  was  the  pillar  of  Popery  and  it  be- 
came the  pillar  of  the  union  of  the  church  and 
state  under  the  Reformation,  and  its  tendency 
was  to  nullify  the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  grace 
through  faith  in  Christ's  atoning  blood  and  the 
right  of  individual  preference  and  judgment  in 
religion.  The  doctrine  of  the  Baptists  of  that 
time  was  that  the  visible  kingdom  of  God  on 
earth  was  to  be  made  up  of  men  and  women  pro- 
fessing holiness,  which  holiness  grew  out  of  a 
changed  heart  and  life,  and  that  without  this 
changed  heart  no  man  was  fit  for  membership  in 
the  church  of  Christ.  And  when  in  Holland  la- 
ter on  they  were  once  given  opportunity  to  be 
supported  by  an  alliance  with  the  state,  they  re- 
fused. Baptist  doctrine  has  ever  been,  a  free 
church  in  a  free  state.  From  nowhere  else  did 
the  doctrine  of  religious  liberty  as  America  has 
it  today,  come.  When  the  Puritans  came  to 
America  and  landed  at  Plymouth  Rock,  they 
came  that  they  might  worship  God  according  to 
the  dictates  of  their  own  conscience,  but    they 


WHAT  AMERICA  OWES  TO  BAPTISTS  205 

were  not  willing  to  grant  to  others  what  they 
wanted  for  themselves.  They  persecuted  both 
Baptists  and  Quakers  even  to  the  whipping  post 
and  to  the  jail.  They  were  not  willing  to  have 
a  government  in  which  thought  should  be  free 
and  in  which  truth  and  error  might  have  an  open 
field  for  conflict.  Baptists  held  that  the  con- 
science should  be  free. 

Roger  Williams,  the  founder  of  Rhode  Is- 
land, was  the  great  American  apostle  of  religious 
Liberty.  While  he  was  never  a  Baptist  in  regu- 
lar form,  he  was  a  Baptist  in  principles  and  at 
heart.  He  believed  in  Baptist  doctrine  and  advo- 
cated freedom  of  the  conscience.  He  contended 
that  it  was  not  right  for  the  magistrate  to  punish 
anybody  for  any  violation  of  the  "first  table."  On 
account  of  his  urgent  advocacy  of  Baptist  princi- 
ples the  Puritans  drove  him  from  them.  The 
sentence  of  banishment  was  passed  October  9, 
1635.  A  little  later  he  fled  from  Salem  to  avoid 
being  arrested  and  carried  back  to  England.  La- 
ter on  he  established  Rhode  Island  colony  on  the 
basis  of  the  strictest  principles  of  civil  and  re- 
ligious liberty.  Only  one  religious  test  was  laid 
upon  the  citizens  of  this  colony :  A  man  must  not 
assail  the  doctrine  that  the  conscience  must  be 
free.  I  suppose  this  was  on  the  idea  that  to  as- 
sail this  doctrine  was  really  treason  against  the 
colony.  And  here  was  the  first  organized  secu- 
lar government  on  earth  where  the  conscience 
was  free.  The  historian,  Bancroft,  has  this  to 
say  concerning  Roger  Williams:  "If  Copernicus 


206        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

is  held  in  perpetual  reverence,  because  on  his 
death  bed  he  published  to  the  world  that  the  sun 
is  the  center  of  our  system;  if  the  name  of  Kep- 
ler is  preserved  in  the  annals  of  human  excel- 
lence for  his  sagacity  in  detecting  the  laws  of 
planetary  motion;  if  the  genius  of  Newton  has 
been  almost  adored  for  dissecting  a  ray  of  light 
and  weighing  the  heavenly  bodies  in  a  balance- 
let  there  be  for  the  name  of  Roger  Williams  at 
least  some  humble  place  among  those  who  have 
advanced  moral  science  and  made  themselves  the 
benefactors  of  mankind."  He  stood  for  the 
greatest  of  all  the  great  foundation  principles  of 
secular  government — a  free  church  in  a  free 
state.  And  so  thoroughly  imbued  were  the  peo- 
ple of  Rhode  Island  colony  with  these  princi- 
ples that  they  were  the  last  of  all  the  colonies 
to  come  into  the  compact  of  states  which  forms 
our  government  as  it  now  is.  They  never  would 
agree  to  come  in  till  freedom  of  conscience  was 
placed  in  unmistakable  terms  in  the  constitution. 
More  to  Baptists  than  to  any  other  peo- 
ple is  due  the  fact  that  not  simply  religious 
toleration  but  religious  liberty  is  ingrafted  irrev- 
ocably into  the  fundamental  law  of  our  nation. 
In  New  England  and  Virginia  where  Baptists 
abounded,  they  never  ceased  making  an  active 
campaign  until  this  great  feat  was  accomplish- 
ed. They  wanted  freedom  of  conscience  for 
themselves  and  they  wanted  everybody  else  to 
have  it.  And  they  were  as  zealous  for  a  secular 
government  in  which  every  citizen  was  to  be  the 


WHAT  AMERICA  OWES  TO  BAPTISTS  207 

equal  of  his  fellow  as  they  were  for  freedom  of 
conscience.  So  it  was  that  during  the  war  of  the 
^Revolution,  every  Baptist,  almost  without  ex- 
ception, was  a  patriot.  Hosts  of  them  were  sol- 
diers. Many  of  their  preachers  were  soldiers, 
serving  not  only  as  chaplains  but  fighting  in  the 
ranks.  George  Washington,  after  he  was  presi- 
dent, addressed  a  communication  to  a  Virginia 
convention  of  Baptists  in  which  he  bore  testimo- 
ny to  the  truth  of  the  facts  in  general  of  which  I 
have  spoken. 

True  civil  and  religious  liberty  mutually  sup- 
port each  other.  In  fact,  religious  liberty  is  the 
factor  which  produces  civil  liberty.  A  religious 
system  which  is  a  despotism  in  itself  will  never 
favor  a  free  state.  Despotism  in  either  church 
or  state  is  afraid  to  trust  the  people.  The  one 
maxim  which  it  hates  is  that  which  says  of  ev- 
ery person,  "To  his  own  Master  he  standeth  or 
falleth."    Baptists  hate  despotism. 

So  we  can  honor  a  man  as  a  man  when  he 
differs  with  us.  We  would  like  to  see  every  man 
a  Christian;  we  would  like  to  see  every  Chris- 
tian a  Baptist;  but  we  can  recognize  manhood 
and  true  worth  of  character  wherever  we  find  it. 
And  this  is  Americanism.  Not  much  are  true 
Americans  in  the  habit  of  blacklisting  a  man  be- 
cause of  his  religion,  unless  his  religion  be  regard- 
ed as  dangerous  to  the  state.  We  now  have  a  Uni- 
tarian as  president.  We  have  had  presidents  who 
were  members  of  different  Protestant  churches. 
We  have  had  presidents  who  were  members  of 


208    BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

no  churches  at  all.  The  people  have  trusted 
them  and  they  have  filled  their  places  well.  Ee- 
ligious  liberty  and  freedom  of  conscience  pro- 
mote toleration  of  differences  to  the  uttermost 
point.  We  are  all  Americans  and  as  long  as  a 
man  is  true  to  America  we  give  him  the  hand  of 
fellowship  as  an  American.  With  malice  toward 
none  and  with  charity  for  all  we  glory  in  the 
liberty  and  in  the  rights  of  American  citizen- 
ship. And  this  feeling  found  its  origin  in  this 
free  land  in  that  sentiment  which  made  Rhode 
Island  colony  the  first  real  free,  secular  govern- 
ment on  the  face  of  the  earth. 

In  our  country  there  are  perils  which  are  con- 
fronting us.  There  is  the  power  of  corporate 
greed ;  there  is  the  materialistic  spirit  of  the  age. 
There  is  anarchy  which  shows  its  red  hand  in  so 
many  places  and  in  so  many  ways.  There  is  the 
class  spirit  which  would  shut  every  one  out  from 
every  good  thing,  except  those  who  belong  to  it- 
self. And  these  dangerous  elements  are  gaining 
force  from  various  sources  every  year.  Should 
one  of  them  come  fully  to  dominate  our  country, 
it  would  mean  goodbye  to  American  institutions. 
And  wherein  shall  we  find  protection  and  safety? 
In  our  country  we  have  the  happiest  homes  up- 
on which  the  sun  shines  in  all  his  journey  around 
the  world.  But  even  in  these  without  something 
back  of  them  and  above  them,  we  cannot  find  full 
protection  and  safety.  We  educate  our  children 
in  the  schools.  On  every  hill  top  and  in  every 
valley,  on  every  prairie  and  in  every  hamlet,  is 


WHAT  AMERICA  OWES  TO  BAPTISTS  209 

the  little  red  school  house  to  be  found.    And  it  is 
great     We  cannot  do  without  it.    But  we  must 
Took  elsewhere  for  that  which  will  save  us  from 
the  evils  which  threaten  us.     Our  safety  is  in 
God;  in  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ;  in  the  gos- 
pel of  salvation.    If  we  can  but  have  a  consider- 
able number  of  our  people  saved  by ^the  gospel, 
they  will  be  the  salt  of  the  earth.    And  the  bet- 
ter* view  we  have  of  God,  the  better  conception 
we  have  of  Christ  as  a  personal  Savior,  the  purer 
the  oospel  is  preached  in  all  its  saving  power, 
the  beZ  for  our  country.    And  to  get  all  these 
things  in  the  best  way  and  the  fullest  way,  the 
Baptist  idea  must  prevail.    The  Baptist  idea  is 
that  between  the  soul  and  God,  there  is  no  priest 
but  Christ;  there  is  no  gospel  except  the  doctrine 
that  the  risen  Christ  meets  the  sinner  in  his  own 
soul  at  the  point  of  saving  faith  and  gives  him 

eternal  life.  .  , 

No  nation  can  go  utterly  to  the  bad  in  which 
there  is  a  considerable  element  of  men  thus  sav- 
ed    Jesus  said  to  such,  "Ye  are  the  salt  of  the 
earth  "  "Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world."  Ten  such 
men  in  the  wicked  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah 
would  have  saved  those  cities  from  destruction 
God  spares  the  world  for  the  elect's  sake.    And 
our  Baptist  people  are  the  best  representatives 
of  this  light,  this  salt,  and  these  elect  on  earth 
today.     We  do  not  mean  that  other  people  are 
not  good.    We  do  not  mean  even  that  others  do 
not  preach  and  teach  saving  truth;  but  we  do 
mean  that  the  Baptists  have  the  clearest  vision, 


210        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

and  that  their  preaching  and  teaching  takes  the 
veil  out  of  the  way  of  others,  more  successfully 
than  does  that  of  any  other  people  under  the 
sun.  So  we  may  say  that  America  owes  its  very 
life  to  the  Baptists.  There  are  sinks  of  iniquity 
in  New  York  that  are  indescribable.  There  are 
scenes  of  sin  in  Chicago  too  shameful  to  be  men- 
tioned. In  all  our  great  cities  and  in  many  sec- 
tions of  our  country  there  are  moral  blights  and 
pestilences  fearful  to  think  of.  But  so  long  as 
we  have  the  truth,  and  the  teaching,  and  the 
churches,  and  more  especially  Baptist  churches 
Avith  their  teaching,  we  have  the  salt  of  the  earth 
and  on  account  of  the  salt,  God  will  spare  our 
country. 

To  a  Baptist  we  owe  our  national  hymn.  It 
was  not  merely  accidental  that  "America"  was 
written  by  a  Baptist.  It  was  fitting  in  the  provi- 
dence of  God  that  it  should  be  so.  When  S.  F. 
Smith  wrote  those  words  he  did  not  think  that 
he  was  making  himself  immortal.  He  dashed 
them  off  in  a  few  minutes  without  apparently 
much  thought,  but  from  ocean  to  ocean  and  from 
the  lakes  to  the  gulf  our  people  make  them  the 
expression  of  their  patriotism  today  and  will 
through  the  years.  God  guided  the  hand  that 
wrote  those  lines  and  it  is  no  small  honor  to  a 
Baptist,  every  time  he  hears  the  words  sung,  to 
remember  that  they  were  written  by  one  of  his 
people,  and  it  is  pardonable,  that  he  should  take 
a  pride  in  it  and  rejoice  in  it. 


WHAT  AMERICA  OWES  TO  BAPTISTS  211 

"My  country,  'tis  of  thee, 
Sweet  land  of  liberty, 
Of  thee  I  sing; 
Land  where  my  fathers  died 
Land  of  the  pilgrim's  pride; 
From  every  mountain  side 
Let  freedom  ring. 

Our  fathers  God  to  thee, 

Author  of  liberty, 

To  thee  we  sing; 

Long  may  our  land  be  bright, 

With   freedom's  holy  light; 

Protect  us  by  thy  might, 

Great  God  our  king." 

May  the  God  who  is  over  all  and  blessed 
forever,  prosper  our  nation  and  our  Baptist  peo- 
ple, to  whom  America  owes  so  much;  and  may 
Old  Bethel  church  live  and  be  a  light-house  to 
guide  men  into  the  harbor  of  safety  and  peace 
till  He  comes  whose  right  it  is  to  reign. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  BAPTIST  PROGRAM. 

(Editorial  in  Illinois  Baptist,  May  21,  1910.) 

The  Baptist  program  is  based  on  the  author- 
ity of  Christ.  He  said,  "All  power  is  given  unto 
me  both  in  heaven  and  in  earth."  He  himself 
made  this  fact  the  reason  for  the  program  which 
he  laid  down.  When  he  said  this  he  was  speak- 
ing to  "the  eleven"  on  a  mountain  top  in  Gali- 
lee.    They  had  met  him  there  by  appointment. 

The  program  has  in  it  five  numbers.  Four 
of  them  are  to  be  carried  out  by  his  disciples. 
The  fifth  is  his  part. 

The  first  number  in  the  program  is,  "Go." 
Christ's  first  disciples  might  have  sat  down  in 
Palestine  and  there  have  ended  their  days.  A 
Christian  now  may  sit  and  sing,  "Hallelujah ! 
'tis  done!  I  believe  on  the  son:  I'm  saved  by  the 
blood  of  the  crucified  One."  But  the  Baptist 
program  can  never  thus  be  carried  out. 

Many  are  very  insistent  on  certain  parts  of 
the  program. 

They  want  to  see  disciples  made.  They  want 
to  see  disciples  baptized.  But  that  is  about  all 
with  them.  They  can  not  rest  till  their  own 
children  are  converted  and  they  are  anxious 
about  their  neighbors.  But  some  are  almost 
as  narrow  as  the  old  brother  who  is  said  to  have 
prayed,  "Lord,  bless  me  and  my  wife,  and  my 
son,  John,  and  his  wife;  us  four  and  no  more." 

212 


THE    BAPTIST    PROGRAM  213 

Talk  to  this  kind  about  "going"  and  they  are 
as  blank  as  the  First  church  of  Jerusalem  seemed 
to  be  for  a  number  of  years.  That  church  sat 
for  a  long  time  and  did  not  look  beyond  its  own 
immediate  dooryard.  God  permitted  persecu- 
tion to  come  on  it  and  scatter  its  membership 
and  thus  compelled  it  to  "go." 

I  know  Baptists  whose  sole  interest  is  in 
their  own  immediate  neighborhood.  If  they  are 
asked  to  do  something  for  district  missions,  they 
will  say,  "Will  the  missionary  be  sent  to  help  our 
church?  I  gave  some  last  year  and  I  have  never 
seen  him.  If  I  give  more  I  want  to  know  we  will 
get  help." 

Often  talk  like  this  comes  from  churches  that 
ought  to  be  ashamed  to  think  of  asking  for  help. 
They  have  good  houses  of  worship,  wealthy  mem- 
bers and  able  pastors.  They  are  abundantly 
able  to  take  care  of  their  own  local  work  and  to 
help  "the  regions  beyond."  But  they  have  not 
read  the  first  number  on  the  Baptist  program, — 
"Go."  I  have  known  churches  to  pay  money  in- 
to the  missionary  treasury  and  then  when  per- 
chance some  missionary  has  come  to  them  and 
helped  in  a  meeting  with  them,  they  have  objected 
to  his  taking  a  collection  because  they  claim 
they  have  already  paid  for  the  work. 

No  wonder  many  such  churches  take  the  dry 
rot,  or  paralysis,  or  "sleeping  sickness"  and  are 
spewed  out  of  the  Master's  mouth. 

We  are  to  go  and  we  are  to  keep  going.  We 
are  to  reach  out  into  adjoining  communities,  and 


214   BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

into  neighboring  countries,  and  to  points  all 
over  our  state,  and  to  all  needy  sections  in  all  the 
states  of  our  own  great  country,  and  into  all  the 
world.  The  command  to  "go"  contemplated  Je- 
rusalem, Judea,  Samaria,  and  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth.  I  have  known  some  pretty 
good  people  to  say,  "I  am  willing  to  help  for 
home  work;  but  I  don't  believe  in  'Furrin'  Mis- 
sions." How  important  it  is  that  we  get  fully 
laid  on  the  consciences  of  such  men  the  fact  that 
the  first  number  in  the  Baptist  program  is,  "Go," 
and  that  it  means  go  into  all  the  world  and  all 
nations. 

Such  brethren  need  to  get  the  spirit  of  the 
Indian  Christian's  song  which  he  recited  for  the 
brethren.    The  first  verse  ran  thus : 

"Go  on ;  go  on ;  go  on ;  go  on ; 
Go  on;  go  on;  go  on; 
Go  on ;  go  on ;  go  on ;  go  on ; 
Go  on;  go  on;  go  on." 

The  chorus  was  likewise.  Let  all  our  preach- 
ers lay  stress  continually  on  the  command  to  go. 
Go!  Go!  Go!  Let  the  changes  on  the  word  be 
rung,  till  they  reverberate  in  all  the  chambers  of 
every  Christian's  soul.  Of  course  the  great  mul- 
titude of  our  people  cannot  go  personally  to  the 
fields  far  away,  but  we  can  all  go  through  those 
whom  our  means  may  send.  To  give  is  equivalent 
to  go. 


THE    BAPTIST    PROGRAM  215 

But  the  going  must  have  a  purpose.  To  make 
a  great  bluster  and  have  a  great  sound  of  trum- 
pets, and  a  mighty  display  generally  amounts  to 
nothing  except  as  it  leads  to  the  accomplishment 
of  a  purpose.  Fuss  and  feathers  amount  to  lit- 
tle. 

This  brings  us  to  the  second  number  in  the 
Baptist  program :  "Make  Disciples."  This  means 
that,  having  gone  to  men,  we  must  so  teach  them 
that  under  the  divine  leading  they  may  be 
brought  to  the  cross  and  salvation.  To  be  made 
a  disciple  means  to  be  made  a  child  of  God — to 
be  saved.  Jesus  said,  "Whosoever  he  be  of  you 
that  forsaketh  not  all  that  he  hath,  he  cannot  be 
my  disciple."  See  Luke  14 :  33.  So  to  make  a 
disciple  means  something.  It  does  not  mean  to 
persuade  people  to  "stand  up"  or  "come  for- 
ward," or  "sign  a  card."  It  means  to  teach  them 
that  they  lay  themselves  and  all  that  they  have 
on  God's  altar.  In  other  words,  it  means  to 
bring  them  to  saving  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  This 
is  the  greatest  thing  that  one  man  can  do  for 
another. 

We  have  some  who  want  to  stop  here.  They 
say  this  is  the  great  thing  and  that  all  beyond 
this  is  subsidiary.  So  they  say:  "Go  to;  let  us 
hold  union  meetings  and  all  go  in  together  and 
save  souls.  Let  us  agree  to  say  nothing  about 
baptism  or  preserving  grace."  And  we  have 
Baptist  (?)  evangelists  who  are  ready  to  pander 
to  this  idea  and  go  back  on  the  Savior's  Great 
Commission.     They  can  make  a  big  display  in 


216        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

this  way  and  can  get  more  shekels  per  sermon 
for  the  preaching  they  do.  We  have  heard  of 
this  kind  who  have  gone  to  weak  Baptist  church- 
es to  hold  meetings  and  who,  after  getting  on 
the  ground,  have  persuaded  such  church  to  turn 
the  effort  into  a  union  affair  with  the  result  that 
the  poor  weak  Baptist  church  has  gained  very 
little — has  really  been  weakened — and  other  de- 
nominations have  been  built  up.  He  has  been 
the  talk  of  the  town  and  he  has  been  well  paid  in 
dollars  and  cents. 

We  must  remember  the  third  number  in  the 
program,  "Baptizing  Them;'  When  disciples 
are  made  the  next  thing  is  to  baptize  them.  What 
right  has  a  Baptist  to  padlock  his  mouth  so  that 
he  cannot  say,  "Why  tarriest  thou?  Arise  and  be 
baptized?1'  He  has  no  such  right.  It  is  disloyal- 
ty to  Christ  and  conscience  for  him  to  do  so. 
Nullification  is  bad  in  state  or  church.  An  at- 
tempt to  nullify  law  on  the  part  of  a  citizen  of 
the  state  gets  him  into  trouble.  And  shall  not 
God  have  an  eye  to  the  man  who  for  policy,  or 
popularity  or  pelf,  nullifies  his  law?  Surely  he 
will.  Let  no  Baptist  forget  that  the  third  num- 
ber in  the  Baptist  program  is  laid  down  by  the 
Master  himself,  "Baptize  them,"  In  other  words,, 
"Make  them  Baptists." 

And  there  is  still  another  number.  Many 
preachers  and  churches  seem  to  feel  that  when 
we  get  a  man  baptized,  our  work  is  finished — re- 
garding him.  They  appear  to  have  about  the  no- 
tion of  the  old  lady  who  had  been  a  Methodist 


THE    BAPTIST    PROGRAM  217 

and  became  a  Baptist.  Telling  about  it,  she 
said,  "I  had  been  a  Methodist  for  years,  and  they 
were  always  after  me  for  money.  Finally  I 
got  so  tired  of  it  I  quit  and  joined  the  Baptists, 
because  I  thought  with  them  it  was  'dip  and  be 
done  with  it'."  But  the  Baptist  program  has  a 
fourth  number  which  runs  like  this  -."Teaching 
them  (the  Baptists  or  baptized  disciples)  to  ob- 
serve all  things  ivhatsoeuer  I  have  commanded 
you"  And  here  comes  in  the  more  arduous 
work.  To  become  a  disciple  and  to  be  baptized 
may  take  place  in  a  day,  but  the  process  of  build- 
ing character  goes  on  through  a  lifetime.  The 
model  church  "continues  steadfastly  in  the  apos- 
tles' doctrine  and  fellowship  and  in  breaking 
bread  and  in  prayers."  We  are  to  teach  missions. 
We  are  to  teach  giving.  We  are  to  teach  the  doc- 
trine. We  are  to  declare  all  the  counsel  of  God. 
We  are  to  be  faithful  to  the  end — faithful  till 
death. 

Then  comes  the  fifth  number  in  the  Baptist 
program.  And  it  is  not  only  a  fifth  number.  It 
is  like  an  accompaniment  to  a  piece  of  music 
which  runs  all  the  way  through  the  song.  It  is 
Christ's  part  and  the  extent  to  which  he  fulfills 
it  depends  upon  the  extent  to  which  we  carry 
out  the  other  four  numbers.  If  we  carry  them 
out  as  he  orders,  this  is  his :  "Lo,  I  am  with  you 
alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world."  Bap- 
tists, Baptists!  Stick  to  your  program.  Here  it 
is  as  he  laid  it  down: 


218   BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

"Go  make  disciples  of  all  nations,  baptizing 
them,  in  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  Teaching  them  to  observe 
all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you; 
and,  lo,  /  am  with  you  alway,  even  to  the  end 
of  the  world."  Matt.  28 :  19,  20. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

SHALL  WOMEN  KEEP  THEIR  MOUTHS 
SHUT? 

(Editorial.) 

In  New  Testament  times  there  were,  in  most 
countries,  customs  which  Christians  were  requir- 
ed to  observe,  that  in  our  age  and  in  our  country- 
do  not  exist. 

There  is  a  saying  that  "custom  is  law,"  and 
when  custom  does  not  make  void  the  law  of  God, 
this  saying  is  true.  Often  divine  law  cannot  be 
kept  without  the  observance  of  customs  which 
in  themselves  are  of  no  force.  All  the  force  they 
have  is  given  them  by  their  relation  to  the  divine 
law. 

In  our  country  and  time  it  is  the  custom  of 
friends  when  they  meet,  especially  if  they  have 
been  separated  any  length  of  time,  to  shake 
hands.  Custom  makes  shaking  hands  a  sign  of 
friendly  regard. 

If  one  refuses  to  shake  hands  with  a  man, 
that  refusal  is  a  sign  of  enmity,  and  is  an  insult. 

Sometimes  we  advise  men  who  have  had  a 
fuss  to  shake  hands  and  make  peace.  The  cus- 
tom of  shaking  hands  may  be  so  related  to  peace 
that  to  refuse  to  shake  hands  would  be  a  sin. 

In  China  custom  is  different.  There  when 
friends  meet,  instead  of  shaking  each  other's 
hands,  they  shake  each  his  own  hands. 

In  New  Testament  times  there  was  a  form  of 
greeting  called  "the  holy  kiss."  It,  like  our  hand- 

219 


220    BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

shake,  was  a  token  of  friendly  regard.  The  ob- 
servation of  the  holy  kiss  was  enjoined  by  the 
apostles  at  least  five  times.  Paul  commands  it 
in  Rom.  16 :  16,  1  Cor.  16 :  20,  2  Cor.  13 :  12,  1 
Thess.  5 :  26.  Peter  enjoins  it  one  time.  See  1 
Peter  5:  14. 

These  commands  however  do  not  in  letter  ap- 
ply to  us  today.  It  was  anciently  a  custom  so 
important  that  to  disregard  it  would  have  been 
a  shame!  In  our  day  the  handshake  takes  the 
place  of  the  kiss,  and  to  disregard  the  hand-shake 
would  be  a  shame. 

The  duty  of  brotherly  love  and  friendly  re- 
gard is  unchangeable.  The  custom  by  which 
obedience  to  that  duty  is  expressed  may  change, 
or  may  be  different  in  different  ages  and  coun- 
tries. 

In  Bible  times  it  was  the  custom  when  a 
guest  came  in  from  the  dusty  highway,  for  the 
host  to  provide  water  that  the  guest  might  wash 
his  feet.  To  neglect  this  courtesy  was  a  shame 
and  a  sin.  It  would  have  been  an  utter  disregard 
of  the  law  of  hospitality  in  that  age  and  in  that 
country. 

Now  when  the  weary  and  travel-tired  guest 
comes  in  the  host  brings  a  refreshing  drink  of 
water,  and  furnishes  water  that  the  guest  may 
wash  his  hands  and  face.  To  disregard  this  cus- 
tom would  show  discourtesy,  and  would  be  such 
a  breach  of  hospitality  that  it  would  be  a  sin. 

In  the  city  of  Marion  it  would  be  a  shame 
for  a  man  to  go  to  church  or  appear  in  a  social 


SHALL  WOMEN  KEEP  MOUTHS  SHUT?  221 

gathering,  "barefooted."  Such  a  thing  is  not 
permitted  and  if  it  were  to  occur  would  be  count- 
ed a  shame.    It  would  be  a  sin. 

Yet  a  few  years  ago  there  were  communities 
where  going  bare-foot  to  either  of  the  places 
named,  was  no  offense  to  any  one,  and  showed 
no  lack  of  respect  for  occasion  or  place.  It  was 
not  a  shame  at  all. 

The  duty  of  showing  proper  respect  for  peo- 
ple, for  occasions  and  places,  is  unchangeable. 
The  customs  by  which  obedience  to  that  duty  is 
expressed  may  change  from  time  to  time,  or  may 
be  different  in  different  countries  at  the  same 
time. 

In  our  country  and  time  it  would  be  a 
shame  for  a  man  to  sit  in  church  during  public 
worship  with  his  hat  on.  It  would  show  irrev- 
erence, and  is  not  permitted. 

In  some  countries,  when  people  enter  a  sa- 
cred place,  they  take  off  their  shoes.  There  the 
bare  feet  express  the  same  thing  that  the  bare 
head  does  with  us.  Each  custom  in  its  place  and 
time  is  a  duty,  and  its  non-observance  is  a  sin  and 
a  shame. 

The  duty  of  showing  respect  and  reverence 
at  the  proper  place  and  time,  is  unchangeable. 
The  customs  by  which  that  respect  and  rever- 
ence are  shown  may  be  different  in  different 
times  and  places,  but;  to  observe  the  customs  in 
their  times  and  places  is  as  much  a  duty  as  are 
the  respect  and  reverence  themselves. 

And  now  we  are  reaching  the  matter  in  hand. 


222        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

A  woman  in  the  home  is  the  subordinate  of 
her  husband.  She  is  due  him  respect,  reverence 
and  obedience  (in  the  Lord).  This  relation  be- 
tween husband  and  wife  is  unchangeable. 

Custom  expressing  these  relations  may  dif- 
fer in  different  places  and  ages.  Any  custom 
which  repudiates  these  relations  is  wrong,  and 
to  practice  such  a  custom  is  not  permitted,  be- 
cause it  would  be  a  shame. 

In  Corinth,  in  Ephesus,  in  Greece,  in  Rome, 
in  most  of  the  ancient  world,  it  was  not  the  cus- 
tom for  good  women  to  speak  or  teach  in  public. 
If  a  woman  spoke  or  taught  in  public,  she  was 
set  down  as  impure,  and  as  denying  that  rever- 
ence and  subjection  which  was  due  her  husband 
— if  she  had  one. 

The  customs  of  those  times  and  countries 
made  public  speaking  on  the  part  of  women 
mean  these  very  things.  Among  us  in  our  coun- 
try, however,  this  is  not  the  case.  Neither  was 
it  so  among  the  Jews  in  Bible  times. 

In  our  country  women  teach  in  our  Sunday 
schools — often  mixed  classes  of  men  and  women. 
Ofter  they  teach  in  public  schools  and  in  the 
colleges  mixed  classes  of  young  men  and  young 
women.  But  they  do  not  think,  nor  does  any 
one  else  think,  that  by  so  doing  they  repudiate 
the  relations  which  God  has  made  unchangeable 
between  man  and  woman  in  the  home. 

In  our  country  young  ladies  sing  before  mix- 
ed audiences  and  on  graduation  day  they  often 
speak  before  such  audiences.     But  in  so  doing, 


SHALL  WOMEN  KEEP  MOUTHS  SHUT?  223 

they  do  not  declare  any  repudiation  of  God's 
unchangeable  law  as  to  the  relation  between 
man  and  woman  in  the  home.  We  are  proud  of 
such  young  women. 

Among  the  Jews  it  was  not  uncommon  for 
women  to  speak  and  teach.  There  was  for  ex- 
ample, Deborah.  There  was  also  Miriam.  There 
were  many  prophetesses.  But  none  of  these  by 
what  they  did  repudiated  the  reverence,  respect 
and  obedience  which  were  due  her  husband. 

In  many  oriental  countries  today  this  could 
not  be.  It  could  not  have  been  in  ancient  Cor- 
inth, Ephesus,  Greece  and  Eome. 

Paul  said  to  the  Corinthians :  "  Let  your  wom- 
en keep  silence  in  the  churches,  for  it  is  not  per- 
mitted unto  them  to  speak,  but  to  be  in  subjec- 
tion as  the  law  also  says.  And  if  they  will  learn 
anything,  let  them  ask  their  husbands  at  home; 
for  it  is  a  shame  (in  Corinth)  for  a  woman  to 
speak  in  the  church." — 1  Cor.  14 :  34,  35. 

The  reference  here  is  to  wives — women  who 
had  husbands.  They  could  not  speak  publicly 
without  dishonoring  their  husbands,  because  the 
public  speaking  woman  was  in  that  city  consid- 
ered as  impure.  It  was  therefore  a  shame  in 
Corinth  for  women  to  speak  in  the  church.  In 
that  place  and  time  it  meant  lack  of  loyalty,  re- 
spect, reverence  for  their  husbands,  just  as  for 
a  man  in  Marion  to  sit  in  church  with  his  hat 
on  would  show  lack  of  reverence  for  the  place 
of  worship. 


224    BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

There  is  one  other  passage  which,  it  is 
thought  by  many,  ought  to  shut  the  mouth  of 
every  good  woman  in  the  church.  It  is  1  Tim. 
2:  11-14:  "Let  woman  learn  in  quietness,  Tvith 
all  subjection.  But  I  permit  not  women  to  teach, 
nor  to  have  authority  over  the  man,  but  to  be  in 
quietness.  For  Adam  was  first  formed,  then 
Eve.  And  Adam  was  not  deceived;  but  the  wom- 
an, being  deceived,  was  in  the  transgression." 

There  is  not  a  word  in  this  passage  to  indi 
cate  woman's  position  in  the  church.  Woman's 
subjection  is  to  be  to  her  own  husband — not  to 
some  other  woman's  husband.     In   the  church 
her  status  is  seen  in  the  following : 

"There  is  neither  Jew  nor  Greek,  there  is 
neither  bond  nor  free,  there  is  neither  male  nor 
female ;  for  ye  are  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus." — Gal. 
3:  28. 

Let  it  be  remembered  all  the  time  that  the 
silence  of  woman  as  a  requirement,  is  based  on 
the  relation  of  that  silence  to  her  subjection  to 
her  husband. 

When  her  speech  anywhere  repudiates,  or  in 
public  esteem,  repudiates  her  reverence  for  her 
husband,  she  is  to  keep  still.  She  is  not  to  speak 
or  teach  publicly  or  privately  where  so  doing 
reflects  on  her  relation  to  her  husband. 

Let  it  also  be  remembered  that  in  both  the 
famous  passages — 1  Cor.  14:  34,  35  and  1  Tim. 
2 :  11-14 — the  directions  concern  only  women 
who  have  husbands.  There  is  no  reference  to 
young  women,  nor  to  widows  nor  to  old  maids. 


SHALL  WOMEN  KEEP  MOUTHS  SHUT?        22  5 

It  is  safe  we  think  to  infer  that  any  speaking 
or  teaching  or  praying,  done  by  women  with  the 
approval  of  the  Master  or  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
was  right,  and  that  to  give  1  Cor.  14 :  34,  35  and 
1  Tim.  2:  11-14  an  interpretation  which  would 
contradict  this  is  wrong.  Now  let  us  look  at 
some  facts. 

Priscilla,  a  woman  who  had  a  husband, 
taught  Apollos,  and  taught  him  with  her  hus- 
band as  co-laborer.  See  Acts  18 :  26.  So  for  a 
woman,  in  the  presence  of  her  husband,  to  teach 
another  man,  does  not  contradict  1  Tim.  2 :  7-11. 

Anna,  the  prophetess,  a  widow,  at  the  pre- 
sentation of  Jesus  in  the  temple,  prophesied  in 
public.  While  Simeon,  a  prophet,  was  speaking, 
she  came  in  and  "gave  thanks  likewise  unto  the 
Lord,  and  spake  of  him  to  all  them  that  looked 
for  redemption  in  Jerusalem."  See  Luke  2 :  38. 
The  inference  is  clear  that  a  goodly  number 
were  present,  and  we  know  there  were  at  least 
two  men. 

The  Spirit  of  God  did  not  through  Anna  con- 
tradict what  in  1  Cor.  14 :  34,  35,  he  said  through 
Paul.  What  was  a  shame  in  Corinth  in  the 
church  was  not  a  shame  in  Jerusalem  in  the  tem- 
ple. Neither  was  it  at  Asheville,  North  Caroli- 
na, in  the  Southern  Baptist  Convention. 

In  Matt,  15 :  22-28,  we  are  told  of  a  Canaan- 
itish  woman  who  came  to  Jesus  and  who  in  the 
presence  of  his  disciples  called  aloud  on  the 
Master  in  behalf  of  her  daughter.  She  cried  af- 
ter him  so  persistently  that  the  disciples  were 


226        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

disturbed.  They  begged  him  to  send  her  away. 
Had  it  been  a  shame  there  and  then  for  her  to 
have  called  aloud  on  him  in  public,  would  he 
not  have  rebuked  her?  But  he  did  not  rebuke 
her.  He  granted  her  request  and  praised  her 
faith.  And  in  this  he  does  not  contradict  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  1  Cor.  14 :  34,  35.  The  speaking 
publicly  of  women  in  Corinth  indicated  lack  of 
reverence  for  their  husbands.  The  crying  aloud 
in  prayer  publicly  of  this  woman  in  Palestine, 
indicated  faith  in  the  Master. 

On  the  day  of  Pentecost  the  women  as  well 
as  the  men  spoke  in  public  as  the  Spirit  gave 
them  utterance.  That  women  were  present  see 
Acts  1 :  14  and  Acts  2 :  1.  That  the  tongues  of 
fire  were  on  the  women,  see  verse  3,  and  that  they, 
as  well  as  the  men  were  filled  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  see  verse  4.  Also  on  that  day  the  women 
prophesied.  See  Acts  2:  14,  17,  18.  And  this 
was  all  in  the  church  and  in  public,  and  was  un- 
der the  direction  of  the  Spirit. 

The  Spirit  inspired  Paul  to  write  1  Cor.  14: 
34,  35  and  1  Tim.  2:  7-11.  Does  he  contradict 
himself?  Far  be  it.  For  God's  "hand  maidens" 
and  "daughters  who  had  husbands"  to  have 
spoken  publicly  in  the  church  at  Corinth  would 
have  been  a  shame  and  would  not  have  been  per- 
mitted, because  it  would  have  indicated  lack  of 
reverence  for  their  husbands,  but  at  Jerusalem 
in  the  church  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  it  was  not 
a  shame  and  was  permitted,  because  there  it  re- 


SHALL  WOMEN  KEEP   MOUTHS   SHUT?        227 

fleeted  on  no  woman's  purity  nor  on  her  loyalty 
to  her  husband. 

Just  so  at  Asheville,  N.  C,  when  two  good 
women  spoke  before  the  Southern  Baptist  Con- 
vention, it  was  not  a  shame  and  was  just  as  per- 
missible as  on  Pentecost,  because  it  indicated  no 
disregard  for  any  womanly  obligation  to  home 
or  husband. 

In  Psalm  68:  11,  we  have  this  prophecy: 
"The  Lord  gives  the  word;  the  women  that  pub- 
lish the  glad  tidings  are  a  mighty  host."  This 
is  the  rendering  in  what  is  called  "The  Baptist 
Bible,"  published  by  the  American  Baptist  Pub- 
lication Society.  Women  then  are  publicly  to 
tell  the  gospel  story.  Not  where  it  would  bring 
them  or  the  gospel  into  disrepute  as  in  Corinth 
and  like  places,  but  in  places  like  Palestine  and 
like  the  United  States  of  America  in  such  ways 
as  never  to  show  lack  of  reverence  for  their  hus- 
bands. 

Let  our  good  women  go  on  as  they  are  going. 
They  can  be  trusted  more  fully  than  we,  to  keep 
their  places.  Let  them  speak  on  suitable  occa- 
sion ;  let  them  teach ;  let  them  pray,  in  our  meet- 
ings. Until  they  show  disloyalty  to  the  law  of 
the  home  as  given  in  Eden,  never  say  them  nay. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
A  VALUATION  OF  THE  PREACHER. 

(Editorial.) 

"Preachers'  boys  are  the  worst  on  earth." 
This  is  a  common  saying,  but  is  as  far  from  the 
truth  as  it  could  well  be.  Once  in  a  long  while 
there  is  a  preacher's  boy  who  is  bad.  Eli's  sons 
were  a  hard  lot.  We  remember  one  preacher 
whose  boy  was  hanged  by  the  neck  till  he  was 
dead. 

But  generally  speaking  preachers'  boys  are 
the  best  to  be  found.  It  is  strange  that  more  of 
them  do  not  go  wrong  than  do.  Their  fathers 
are  so  much  of  the  time  away  from  home;  and 
even  the  best  of  mothers  have  a  hard  time  con- 
trolling boys.  Preachers'  boys  have  boy  nature 
just  as  do  others  and  they  do  not  like  to  have  it 
said  that  they  are  tied  to  their  mother's  apron 
strings.  Besides  the  devil  counts  a  preacher's 
boy  as  prey  specially  to  be  sought. 

Every  preacher's  boy  caught  is  a  feather  in 
the  devil's  cap.  It  makes  a  strong  odor  against 
religion  and  tells  against  the  preacher's  influ- 
ence. People  say,  "That  man  can't  manage  his 
own  boys.  Why  should  he  be  trying  to  teach  us 
what  to  do  with  ours?"  Paul  makes  it  one  quali- 
fication of  a  pastor  that  he  should  rule  his  own 
house  well. 

However  when  we  look  through  the  history 
of  the  past,  we  find  that  preachers'  boys  have  a 
marvelous  record  for  good.     They  have     been 

228 


A  VALUATION  OF  THE  PREACHER     2  29 

among  earth's  greatest  and  most  successful  in 
almost  every  noble  pursuit.  Somewhere  we  have 
a  partial  list  of  these.  We  tried  to  find  it  for 
this  article,  but  it  has  eluded  our  search.  We 
hope  to  discover  it  and  publish  it  later.  As  an 
old  friend  of  ours  used  to  say,  "It  will  make 
pretty  reading." 

"Preachers  know  nothing  about  business. 
They  are  not  men  of  affairs.  When  they  under- 
take to  give  business  advice,  or  undertake  to  in- 
terfere in  community  management,  they  lose 
out."  The  facts  show  to  the  contrary.  Preachers 
are  competent  to  do  business  and  they  are  men 

of  affairs. 

Many  a  preacher  gets  along  on  an  income  that 
would  so  stump  some  of  his  critics  that  they 
would  throw  up  their  hands,  quit  and  spend  their 
time  grumbling  at  fate  and  hard  times  and  at 
the  government.  We  have  in  mind  now  a  preach- 
er whose  salary,  so  far  as  we  know,  never  exceed- 
ed six  hundred  dollars  a  year,  who  had  a  wife 
and  five  children— four  sons  and  one  daughter. 
He  kept  his  family  under  a  good  roof  and  cloth- 
ed them  comfortably  and  fed  them  well. 

All  five  children  grew  up,  and  he  managed 
to  give  each  of  them  a  fair  education.  Two  of 
the  sons  are  now  successful  business  men.  The 
other  two  are  practicing  physicians  and  rank 
high  in  the  profession.  The  daughter  is  well 
married.  The  old  folks— and  they  are  not  old 
to  hurt— left  to  themselves  are  living  to  them- 
selves as  when  they  first  started  out  together— 


230        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.  THROGMORTON 

are  in  comfortable  circumstances.  And  this  is  no 
very  unusual  exception  at  all.  The  fact  that  his 
people  follow  him  and  are  glad  to  aid  him  in 
carrying  out  his  plans,  demonstrates  his  general- 
ship.    He  is  a  manager  indeed. 

Witness  the  work  of  Johnston  Myers  of  Chi- 
cago. See  what  is  being  done  by  some  of  the 
young  men  on  the  field  of  our  State  Association. 
Consider  Reeder  at  Winstanley  (East  St.  Louis), 
Marlin  at  Grayville,  Culp  at  DuQuoin,  Motsinger 
at  West  Frankfort,  Booth  at  Harrisburg.  These 
men  are  leading  hundreds  who  are  gladly  follow- 
ing them  to  marvelous  accomplishment.  Such 
preachers  are  men  of  affairs  and  are  demonstrat- 
ing their  ability  to  manage  big  plants  that  turn 
out  big  things. 

See  what  Hodge  is  doing  at  Johnston  City, 
Musgrave  at  Carter ville,  the  three  years  work  of 
Mitchell  at  Herrin  where  Brother  Gore  is  now 
located.  See  Allison  as  he  leads  the  great  First 
church  of  East  St.  Louis.  Likewise  Pepper  as 
he  wrestles  with  the  Lansdowne  problem  in  the 
same  city.  We  say  such  preachers  are  men  of 
affairs  and  are  capable  of  running  any  big  in- 
dustrial plant  which  demands  business  ability 
of  a  high  order. 

It  is  also  the  rule  that  preachers  re-enforce 
their  business  ability  with  strict  and  religious 
economy.  They  are  careful  about  making  debts 
and  when  they  do  make  them,  they  are  careful 
to  pay  them.  They  will  suffer  for  comforts  in 
their  homes  rather  than  suffer  in  their  reputa- 


A  VALUATION  OF  THE  PREACHER     231 

tion.  They  know  the  value  of  a  good  name,  es- 
pecially to  a  man  in  their  sacred  calling.  And 
the  preacher  generally  has  this  good  name.  So 
true  is  this  statement  that  it  is  rarely  any  trou- 
ble for  a  preacher  to  get  credit.  He  has  a  face 
value  not  common  to  men  of  most  other  callings. 
So  it  is  that  when  the  exception  occurs,  and  a 
preacher  shirks  paying  what  he  owes,  it  makes  a 
great  scandal  and  people  talk  about  it  and  won- 
der about  it  as  they  would  in  the  case  of  a  man 
of  no  other  calling.    , 

The  preacher  lives  in  the  thought  that  "the 
just  man  walketh  in  his  integrity."  Water  and 
a  crust  for  his  table  with  a  good  name  rather 
than  rich  viands  and  a  soul  that  fears  to  look  a 
creditor  in  the  face. 

Then  as  to  public  interests  and  especially  as 
to  public  morals,  who  has  not  seen  the  preach- 
er's power  demonstrated?  In  the  face  of  per- 
sonal risk  he  has  often  spoken  out  when  others 
would  not  do  so,  for  law  and  order  and  righteous- 
ness. And  thus  many  a  carousing,  shooting  and 
killing  community  has  been  completely  trans- 
formed. We  think  as  we  write  of  some  situations 
which  formerly  existed  here  in  our  own  state.  We 
think  of  places  we  used  to  see  and  hear  of  in  Wil- 
liamson, Saline,  Hamilton  and  adjacent  counties. 
The  doggery  popular — found  often  at  a  cross- 
roads as  well  as  in  the  villages,  and  other  things 
to  match. 

But  there  were  preachers  in  those  days  whose 
voices  were  heard  for  the  right.     Some  said  to 


232        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

them,  "You  had  better  let  politics  alone  and 
preach  the  gospel."  The  devil  has  always  had 
a  fashion  of  professing  great  solicitude  for  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel  when  such  solicitude  suit- 
ed his  purpose.  But  those  preachers  back  there 
kept  hammering  away  and  making  sentiment,  till 
in  the  counties  specially  named,  there  is  not  to- 
day one  single  licensed  dramshop  to  be  found. 
All  honor  to  such  men  as  Hosea  Vise,  W.  S. 
Blackman,  T.  W.  Chamness  and  a  host  of  others 
whose  names  we  might  write  did  space  permit. 

Suppose  we  would  ever  have  had  the  present 
desirable  conditions  as  to  morals,  temperance,  ed- 
ucation and  good  things  generally,  had  not  the 
preachers  been  at  their  job?    Never! 

You  take  a  community  of  happy  and  pros- 
perous homes;  where  the  fields  are  fruitful  and 
the  gardens  beautiful ;  where  the  children  are  ro- 
sy-cheeked and  comfortably  clad,  and  where  the 
young  people  are  bright,  intelligent  and  aspiring 
— certain  it  is,  the  preacher  is  there  and  has  been 
there  with  his  teaching  of  "peace  on  earth,  good 
will  to  men." 

The  preacher  left  oiTt  in  such  a  community 
for  the  past  few  years,  would  show  things  dilap- 
idated, uncultivated,  non-progressive — and  un- 
healthful.  If  thousands  of  dollars,  in  the  absence 
of  the  preacher,  had  been  donated  each  year  to 
help  that  community,  it  would  have  been  like 
pouring  treasure  into  a  sink-hole,  and  the  re- 
cipients would  continually  have  been  begging  for 
more.    But  the  preacher's  ministry  has  produced 


A  VALUATION  OF  THE  PREACHER     2  33 

a  fibre  of  manhood  and  womanhood  worth  more 
than  money  values  can  measure  in  bringing  ma- 
terial blessings  and  happy  homes. 

Where  the  school  house  is  a  shack,  where 
there  is  no  care  for  highways,  where  homes  are 
poorly  kept,  the  window  lights  out,  the  roofs 
leaky,  the  door  yards  not  cared  for,  the  boys  and 
girls  not  taught  good  manners — where  these 
things  are,  the  preacher  has  not  cut  much  figure. 
But  let  him  get  in  and  stay  long  enough  and 
things  will  change.  We  heard  of  a  preacher 
named  Lakey  who  visited  once  in  a  home  some- 
thing like  the  ones  just  referred  to.  The  good 
woman  said,  "Make  yourself  at  home,  Brother 
Lakey."  "All  right,"  said  he,  "I'll  take  the  ash- 
es out  the  first  thing."  The  wisest  preacher  does 
not  perhaps  proceed  exactly  as  Brother  Lakey 
did,  but  by  indirection,  he  as  surely  goes  after 
the  same  result. 

The  preacher  does  far  more  for  public  order, 
peace  and  safety  than  does  the  police  force.  He 
is  a  bulwark  against  sin  and  crime.  He  does 
more  for  public  health  than  does  the  physician. 
All  his  teaching  points  to  better  sanitary  condi- 
tions and  methods  of  living.  He  does  more  for 
prosperity  in  material  things  than  would  an  al- 
lowance of  thousands  from  the  treasury  of  the 
state.  He  is  everlastingly  proclaiming  a  rule  of 
life  which  promotes  honesty,  industry  and  econ* 
omy.  He  does  more  to  drive  out  gloom  and  to 
promote  happiness  than  do  all  the  places  and 
sources  of  ordinary  pleasure  and  amusement.  He 


234        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

teaches  an  attitude  of  mind  which  makes  peace 
abide  as  the  ocean :  "Whatsoever  things  are  hon- 
est, whatsoever  things  are  just,  whatsoever  things 
are  pure,  whatsoever  things  are  lovely,  whatsoev- 
er things  are  of  good  report;  if  there  be  any  vir- 
tue, and  if  there  be  any  praise,  think  on  these 
things." 

Years  ago  there  used  to  be  a  story  told  about 
McLeansboro.  In  early  days  the  place  had  no 
church,  and  of  course  the  preacher's  influence 
had  not  come  in.  It  was  counted  a  desperately 
hard  town.  Some  declared  that  it  was  worse 
than  perdition  itself.  Profanity,  fisticuffs,  drunk- 
enness, prevailed.  Tom  Marshall,  a  representa- 
tive in  congress,  lived  in  McLeansboro.  It  leaked 
out  some  way  in  Washington  that  he  was  from 
a  town  that  had  no  church.  He  was  laughed  at 
and  his  pride  was  so  awakened  that  he  wrote 
home,  "I'll  give  a  lot  to  any  church  that  will 
build  a  house  of  worship  on  it."  Soon  McLeans- 
boro had  a  church  and  a  preacher  and  in  a  few 
years  was  transformed.  It  has  long  been  one 
of  the  best  towns  morally  in  this  part  of  the  state. 
It  has  fine  church  buildings,  prosperous  business 
and  a  first  class  citizenship.  A  testimony  to  what 
the  preacher  means  to  the  community. 

We  have  all  heard  of  Liberal,  Missouri.  As 
the  story  goes  it  was  a  town  started  by  infidels, 
with  the  idea  that  it  should  never  have  a  church, 
and  to  demonstrate  that  there  could  be  a  good 
town  without  the  Christian  religion.  It  flourish- 
ed mightily  for  a  little  while,  and  was  advertised 


A  VALUATION  OF  THE  PREACHER     235 

as  the  only  city  on  earth  that  had  no  God,  no 
heaven,  no  hell,  no  church,  no  saloon.  How  did 
it  get  along  without  the  preacher?  It  soon  be- 
came such  a  hell  that  infidels  said,  "We  can't 
stay  here ;  it  is  not  a  fit  place  in  which  to  bring 
up  our  children."  So  the  preachers  were  permit- 
ted to  come  in,  and  the  usual  results  followed. 
The  town  grew  better.  You  can  have  your  city 
government,  your  police  force,  your  courts,  but 
the  preacher  does  more  for  the  community  than 
they  all. 

Who  then  would  want  to  swap  off  the  work 
of  the  ministry  for  some  other  calling  in  which 
results  do  not  abide?  Brother  Preacher,  be  glad 
that  God  has  so  honored  you  as  to  place  you  in 
such  a  noble  avocation.  Magnify  your  office.  Fill 
it  well.  Then  when  your  record  is  completed,  the 
coronation  day  will  give  you  a  crown  of  glory. 
Christian  Father,  feel  happy  if  God  lays  his  hand 
on  your  son  and  makes  him  feel  that  lie  must  be 
miserable  or  preach  the  gospel.  Christian  Moth- 
er, pray  that  your  baby  boy  in  the  cradle,  may 
grow  up  and  be  anointed  of  God  to  proclaim  the 
unsearchable  riches. 

"I  love  to  tell  the  story  of  unseen  things  above, 
Of  Jesus  and  his  glory,  of  Jesus  and  his  love." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

TEACHERS  AND  SCHOOLS  OF  YEARS 
AGO. 

(Editorial  Retrospect.) 

Very  close  to  the  children  of  many  parents 
is  the  preacher.  We  talked  somewhat  about  the 
preacher  last  week.  Very  close  to  the  children 
of  nearly  all  parents  is  the  school  teacher.  The 
school  teacher  is  therefore  a  great  moral  and 
religions  force  and  counts  tremenduously  in  hu- 
man affairs  whether  we  consciously  reckon  with 
him  or  not. 

Thinking  of  the  school  teacher  put  us  into  a 
reminiscent  mood  and  we  went  back  in  mind  to 
the  early  schools  we  attended  and  to  the  teach- 
ers who  instructed  us  in  the  days  before  our  years 
had  counted  ten. 

The  Old  Log  School  House. 

The  first  teacher  we  ever  had  was  a  man 
named  McCutcheon.  We  were  so  young  that  we 
do  not  remember  much  about  him  or  his  school, 
or  his  pupils.  About  all  we  can  call  up  concern- 
ing him  is  that  he  was  rather  an  elderly  man, 
had  a  pleasant  smiling  face  and  was  a  little  deaf. 

A  year  later  we  attended  school  in  the  same 
place  again.  This  time  the  teacher's  name  was 
Collins.  He  was  a  local  Methodist  preacher,  a 
smooth  going  old  gentleman  and  the  scholars  had 
an  easy  time.  The  most  vivid  recollection  we 
have  of  him  is  a  slight  punishment  which  he 
gave  us  and  another  boy  for  playing  'Jack  in 

236 


TEACHERS  AND  SCHOOLS  OF  YEARS  AGO     237 

the  Bush,'  in  'time  of  books.'  The  game  was 
played  with  hazel  nuts.  One  boy  held  the  nuts 
in  both  hands,  and  shaking  them,  said,  'Jack  in 
the  bush.'  The  other  boy  in  the  game  said,  'Cut 
him  down.'  The  first  boy  said,  'How  many 
licks?'  The  other  boy  made  his  guess.  If  he 
guessed  the  exact  number,  he  won  the  nuts.  If 
he  missed  he  had  to  pay  a  forfeit  of  as  many 
nuts  as  he  guessed  over  or  under.  It  was  really 
gambling  on  a  small  scale. 

Another  boy  and  we  were  very  busy  with 
this  game  and  the  teacher,  catching  us,  slipped 
up  on  us,  and  about  the  time  one  of  us  said,  "Cut 
him  down,"  Mr.  Collins  said,  "I'll  cut  YOU 
down."  and  bumped  our  heads  together  good  and 
hard.  This  was  the  only  time  we  ever  suffered  cor- 
poral punishment  of  any  kind  in  school.  Not  be- 
cause we  were  such  a  good  boy,  but  because  we 
were  lucky. 

We  don't  remember  learning  to  spell  or 
learning  to  read.  We  don't  even  remember  learn- 
ing the  multiplication  table.  However,  we  did 
learn  these  things,  and  we  rather  think  it  was  in 
Mr.  Collins'  school.  We  can  very  distinctly  call 
to  mind  that  we  studied  geography  in  this  school 
and  that  on  the  map  of  the  United  States  appear- 
ed the  'Great  American  Desert,,'  which  now  blos- 
soms as  the  rose.  We  got  the  idea  that  it  and  the 
Sahara  desert  of  Africa  were  very  much  alike. 

This  first  school  house  in  our  memory  was 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Manlyville,  Henry  Coun- 
ty, Tenn.    We  wanted  to  see  it  when  we  were  in 


238        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

that  section  last  fall,  but  learned  that  it  had  long- 
been  gone  and  that  there  was  then  no  roadway  to 
the  place  where  it  stood.  So  we  could  not  say, 
"The  old  school  house  was  altered  some."  It  had 
entirely  disappeared.  Of  the  boys  and  girls  who 
were  with  us  in  that  school,  we  remember  scarce- 
ly any.  Most  of  them  have  already  gone  on  be- 
fore us  into  the  Great  Beyond,  though  a  few  still 
remain  on  this  side. 

The  names  and  the  faces  of  all  these  fellow 
pupils  are  no  doubt  recorded  on  the  tablets  hid- 
den away  in  our  subconscious  being,  and  some 
day  we  may  be  able  to  call  the  forgotten  images 
up  and  live  over  in  memory  the  scenes  and  inci- 
dents which  seem  now  forever  gone. 

Memories  of  the  Old  School  Teacher. 

Our  next  school  experience  was  in  the  north- 
east corner  of  the  same  county  in  the  same  state. 
The  house  was  located  near  the  "big  road"  run- 
ning from  Buckhannon  to  the  Mouth  of  Sandy, 
and  was  about  four  miles  west  of  the  last  named 
place.  The  name  of  our  teacher  here  was  Epaph- 
roditus  Simmons.  People  generally  knew  him 
as  'Ep.'  Simmons.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  char- 
acter, a  good  instructor,  and  a  good  manager. 
We  never  knew  a  teacher  who  could  more  com- 
pletely control  a  lot  of  boys.  His  will  was  law. 
And  yet  we  all  liked  him. 

The  rule  in  this  school  was  that  the  first 
pupil  to  reach  the  school  house  in  the  morning 
was  to  have  the  privilege  of  reciting  first  when 
lesson  time  began.     As  soon  as  he  arrived  his 


TEACHERS  AND  SCHOOLS  OF  YEARS  AGO     239 

first  duty  was  to  build  a  fire,  if  one  was  needed. 
Then  he  was  to  begin  studying  his  lessons.  There 
was  no  waiting  for  8:30  or  9  o'clock  to  begin 
work  in  that  school.  Of  course  when  several  pu- 
pils got  in  before  the  teacher,  there  was  some- 
thing doing  in  the  way  of  fun  and  play,  but  a 
strict  watch  was  kept,  and  when  the  form  of  the 
master  appeared  in  sight,  coming  down  the  road, 
everybody  went  to  his  book  and  was  hard  at 
a\  ork. 

School  having  begun  and  the  teacher  being 
ready  for  recitation,  his  word  was,  "Come,  the 
first."  At  once  the  pupil  who  had  reached  the 
school  house  first  that  morning  went  promptly 
forward,  feeling  that,  for  that  day  at  least,  he 
had  won  an  honor.  There  was  little  uniformity 
of  text  books  and  in  a  majority  of  cases,  except 
in  spelling,  the  pupils  recited  singly.  It  was  a 
marvel  how  many  lessons  the  teacher  heard  and 
how  much  was  learned. 

Mr.  Simmons  had  a  regulation  that  during 
school  hours  his  pupils  could  converse  as  much  as 
they  liked,  provided  they  did  not  whisper.  This 
rule  was  inexorable.  If  a  pupil  violated  it  and 
was  caught,  he  was  sure  of  a  licking.  And  he 
was  nearly  sure  to  be  caught,  for  the  teacher  had 
a  sharp  eye  and  a  wide  range  of  vision.  The 
whipping  was  generally  one  to  be  remembered. 
Mr.  Simmons  was  not  cruel,  but  he  believed  that 
disobedience  should  be  punished.  In  this  we  think 
he  was  right.  Most  of  the  old  time  teachers  were 
bulwarks  for  law  and  order,  because  they  taught 


24  0        BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.   P.   THROGMORTON 

respect  for  authority  and  because  they  punished 
the  disobedient.  The  sentiment  against  capital 
punishment  by  the  state,  which  we  hear  so  much 
of  nowadays,  did  not  come  from  the  schools  of  a 
former  generation,  but  is  the  product  of  a.  weak 
sentimentalism  which  exalts  supposed  kindness 
;it  the  expense  of  justice.  The  only  national  gov- 
ernment ever  given  to  men  direct  from  heaven 
had  capital  punishment  in  it.  God  is  not  too 
good  to  punish  sin.  He  is  so  just  that  he  MUST 
punish  sin.  And  so  he  would  have  human  gov- 
ernment to  be  in  principle,  whether  in  the  home, 
the  school  or  the  nation,  though  he  limits  the 
authority  to  administer  capital  punishment  to 
the  nation  or  state. 

It  was  the  rule  in  most  of  the  old  fashioned 
schools  during  study  hours  for  the  pupils  to 
"study  out  loud,"  though  what  was  called  the  "si- 
lent school"  was  not  unknown.  The  teacher  who 
advocated  the  "silent  system,"  however  lost  in 
popularity  on  that  account.  The  "open  school" 
was  thought  to  be  the  best.  Mr.  Simmons  taught 
an  "open  school."  The  pupils  read  aloud,  spell- 
ed aloud,  ciphered  aloud,  parsed  aloud,  conversed 
aloud.  Sometimes,  especially  when  it  was  the 
hour  for  much  spelling  and  everybody  got  going, 
the  noise  was  almost  deafening  and  could  be 
heard  for  quite  a  distance.  It  was  ludicrous  to 
listen  to.  But  the  children  learned.  And  they 
learned  not  only  to  spell,  but  they  learned  well 
whatever  they  studied.  The  curriculum  was  not 
extensive,  but  spelling,  reading,  writing,  gram- 


TEACHERS  AND  SCHOOLS  OF  YEARS  AGO     241 

mar  and  Ray's  Third  Part  Arithmetic  were 
studied  and  re-studied  and  gone  over  and  over 
again  till  the  pupils  knew  them  better  than  like 
studies  are  known  by  many  high  school  stu- 
dents of  today.  In  fact  the  spelling  and  reading 
of  some  high  school  graduates  are  distressing  to 
see  and  hear.  Where  the  "open  school"  prevailed 
the  noise  did  not  seem  to  militate  against  thor- 
oughness in  the  least.  We  do  not  however 
wish  to  be  understood  as  anxious  to  see  a  return 
of  the  "open  school"  method.  We  are  only  stating 
a  fact. 

In  Mr.  Simmons'  school,  spelling  was  a  big 
thing.  Twice  a  day  we  had  recitations  from  big 
spelling  classes.  We  used  the  old  "blue  back  ele- 
mentary" and  the  "common  school  Webster's 
dictionary."  And  many  were  those  who  learned 
to  be  good  spellers.  On  every  Friday  afternoon 
we  had  a  spelling  match.  These  contests  were 
as  full  of  thrill  as  the  game  of  town  ball  or  the 
foot  race.  We  remember  Mr.  Simmons  offered  a 
premium  to  the  pupil  who  won  most  "head 
marks"  in  the  spelling  classes  during  the 
school  and  and  to  the  last  day.  It  was 
our  distinction  to  win.  The  prize  award- 
ed us  was  a  copy  of  "Ray's  Third  Part 
Arithmetic."  We  prized  it  highly,  and  used 
it  to  good  purpose  till,  in  subsequent  years,  we 
could  solve  every  problem  in  it,  from  beginning 
to  end.  Besides  we  felt  that  winning  in  the  con- 
test was  a  great  honor. 


242    BIOGRAPHY  OF  W.  P.  THROGMORTON 

In  that  school  we  received  our  start  in  what- 
ever we  had  later  of  the  ambition  to  acquire 
knowledge  and  to  excel.  We  learned  to  love  learn- 
ing, to  love  reading,  to  prize  books.  The  conse- 
quence was  that  whatever  came  our  way,  in  the 
shape  of  a  book,  was  read.  Our  chief  regret  now  is 
that  not  enough  books  came  of  the  right  sort. 
Yet  on  the  whole  those  we  read  inspired  us  to 
seek  the  good  and  to  have  visions  of  great  things 
which  we  fully  expected  to  reach  later  in  life.  Of 
course  many  of  those  early  visions  have  not  been 
realized  and  never  will  be.  Still  we  are  glad  we 
had  them  and  were  stirred  by  them. 

The  teachers  of  those  days  were  men  and 
women  of  noble  ideals.  In  a  few  things  they 
made  mistakes.  For  instance,  in  many  cases  they 
led  boys  to  under-rate  life  on  the  farm,  and  to 
aspire  to  the  clerkship,  or  to  trade,  as  something 
superior  to  tilling  the  soil.  But  in  moral  prin- 
ciples, in  loyalty  to  country,  in  teaching  respect 
fo?>  true  manhood  and  womanhood,  their  instruc- 
tions were  right.  And  they  had  great  influence, 
not  only  with  their  pupils,  but  with  the  parents 
of  their  pupils.  The  school  teacher  was  a  man 
highly  honored  by  his  patrons.  Whatever  there 
is  of  good  in  middle  aged  and  older  men  and 
women  of  the  present  as  they  are  found  in  our 
country,  is  largely  to  be  ascribed  to  the  men  and 
the  women  who  wielded  the  birch  and  taught  the 
young  idea  how  to  shoot,  in  the  log  school  houses 
of  those  earlier  days. 


TEACHERS  AND  SCHOOLS  OF  YEARS  AGO  243 

Epaphroditus  Simmons  doubtless  years 
since  went  to  his  long  home.  But  he  still  lives 
in  the  lives  of  some  whom  he  taught,  and  his 
works  follow  him.  He  was  not  so  well  drilled  in 
"normal  methods"  nor  did  he  have  so  much  polish 
as  some  who  teach  today,  but  we  are  sure  that 
he  wrought  as  well,  considering  the  appliances 
he  had,  and  that  in  some  respects  he  did  more 
thorough  work. 

In  a  stone's  throw  of  the  old  school  house  in 
which  "Prof."  Simmons  taught  was  the  meeting 
house  of  the  old  Point  Pleasant  Baptist  church. 
Thus  it  was  that  the  culture  given  in  the  little 
log  school  house  and  the  simple  gospel  teaching 
of  Baptists  went  together  in  that  same  commu- 
nity. And  both  influences  are  there  yet.  The 
old  school  house  is  gone,  but  within  a  few  hun- 
dred feet  is  another  and  better  one  to  supply  its 
place.  The  old  church  building  with  some  chang- 
es and  repairs,  is  just  where  it  was.  It  was  our 
pleasure  to  be  on  the  ground  a  few  months  ago 
and  to  feel  swelling  up  in  our  heart  the  memo- 
ries of  the  days  long  gone. 

Thank  God  for  the  country  church  and  its 
gospel.  Thank  God  for  the  country  school  and 
what  it  is  doing.  Together  the  two  make  for 
the  best  there  is  on  earth,  while  the  gospel  of  the 
one  points  us  to  the  "brighter  bliss  of  heaven." 

(Dr.  Throgmorton  is  himself  a  product  of  the 
old  time  school.  His  advance  beyond  their  curric- 
ulum was  all  obtained  by  private  study  and  per- 
sonal effort,  and  illustrates  what  self-culture  can 


244        BIOGRAPHY   OF  W.   P.   THROGMORTON 

do.  The  only  scholastic  degree  he  ever  received 
was  that  of  Doctor  of  Divinity,  given  him  by 
Ewing  College  at  its  commencement  in  the  year 
1890.— C.  H.) 


THE  END. 


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